Cleaning brown glass bottles

ParkerSmithPhoto · Sep 12, 2019

Anyone have any tips for cleaning residue from the inside of glass bottles? I've tried sodium sulfite and it doesn't seem to be working. Making a fresh batch of Pyrocat-HDC and I definitely do not want to risk any contamination.

carioca · Sep 12, 2019

Try to put a cotton ball in the bottle plus a small amount of water (not too much or the friction effect will not take place). Then shake the hell out of it for some minutes and repeat with some fresh cotton. Once all the deposit has gone, I flush with demineralized/destilled water and dry.
This will work in many cases. In other severe cases, you'll need to counteract with appropriate chemistry.
Sidney

Born2Late · Sep 12, 2019

There are many different bottle brushes available for mechanical action. You might try toilet bowl cleaner (carefully); I hate to suggest drain cleaner. I have a wine / beer bottle cleaner that attaches to the faucet and blasts the inside bottom of bottles, it works well. You may just have to experiment a bit.

cowanw · Sep 12, 2019

I use a ball of gauze or a kitchen scrub sheet on a Laparoscopic forceps/gripper.

neilt3 · Sep 12, 2019

I chuck in some stainless steel ball bearings and some water and swirl them about .

Steve Goldstein · Sep 12, 2019

I've used uncooked rice with a bit of water, shaken (not stirred) energetically. For something more abrasive you could try sand, though I never have. I've also used Alconox, a standard laboratory cleaner. If you do this, use it very sparingly.

AgX · Sep 12, 2019

Knowing the kind of residue would help finding the right compound to dissolve/decompose it.

I got quite some brown bottles, which a supplier uses, seemingly for cost saving, to contain a solvent. I only re-use them for liquids which will not leave a reisidue.
Otherwise I use uncoloured glass and store the bottles if necessary in a light tight box, than having the hassle of guessing on residues or, more important, precipitations.

removedacct1 · Sep 12, 2019

I do the wet cotton ball treatment as well, and I find it does an excellent job.

gordrob · Sep 13, 2019

neilt3 said:
I chuck in some stainless steel ball bearings and some water and swirl them about .

+1 Works well for me

John51 · Sep 13, 2019

VWP cleaner/steriliser works well ime. I've been given demijohns that had been stored unwashed after making wine that had thick dried crud on the bottom. A strong solution of VWP would shift the crud in a couple of days.

juan · Sep 13, 2019

What is WWP? A search turns up a computer virus and Wounded Warrior Project.
Juan

Steve Goldstein · Sep 13, 2019

VWP, not WWP.

https://www.vwpcleanersteriliser.co.uk/

neilt3 · Sep 13, 2019

Steve Goldstein said:
VWP, not WWP.

https://www.vwpcleanersteriliser.co.uk/

Good stuff too .
I've been using it for donkeys years to clean out my demijohns and beer barrels as well as steralising the water system in my campervan .
Not used it for cleaning my darkroom stuff though .

Chrismat · Sep 13, 2019

Apparently rice also works.

removed account4 · Sep 13, 2019

next time you go to amazon add one of these to your order
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=carboy+brush&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

mshchem · Sep 13, 2019

Chromic acid, it causes cancer and will eat your flesh, but it works great! The recipe is in all the old Kodak formula books.
Think of the staining as "seasoning" .

(P.S. the chrome cleaners will clean that up in 10 seconds, BAM!)

john_s · Sep 14, 2019

Brown rice is slightly preferable, since it's a bit more abrasive.

mshchem · Sep 14, 2019

The no chrome substitute for chromic acid, still nasty and corrosive is adding ammonium persulfate to sulfuric acid. I've never tried it.

Cleaning brown glass bottles

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