Cleaning the Inside of Bottles and Vases

Written by Amy Gordon (last updated January 29, 2024)

Cleaning inside of bottles and thin vases can be a challenge. Sometimes tea, soda, or even plant stains can mar the highly visible insides of glass bottles and vases. Even though expensive brushes can be bought specifically for this kind of cleaning, sometimes it is just not enough, and it can be a hassle trying to reach into the stained part of the bottle. A much easier way to clean a narrow-necked bottle is to fill it with equal parts water and detergent or ammonia. Add some cleaned, uncooked rice and swirl the solution around until the bottle is clean. Although this can be done without the rice, the rice acts as an abrasive to help in the cleaning process, much like a brush.

If the glass bottle has cloudy marks on the inside, try pouring some vinegar and coarse sand into the bottle. Shake and swirl the bottle to move the sand around in it every half hour until the stain disappears. It may take up to six hours total of the every-half-hour-shaking routine.

To remove a stain from the inside bottom of a bottle, fill the bottle with water until the bottle is just over half full of water. Take two Alka-Seltzer tablets and drop them into the water. Make sure not to overfill the bottle, or the water may come bubbling out of the top. Let the mixture stand overnight. The stains should be gone from the bottle in the morning.

If the spot is particularly stubborn and will not be removed with the techniques mentioned, there is one more method you can try. Start by making a strong solution of hot vinegar and water in a pot. Do not skimp on the vinegar. Let the bottle soak in this solution for several hours. Make sure that the mixture covers the spot during the whole soaking process. Finish by washing in hot soapy water.

Author Bio

Amy Gordon

Amy Gordon loves keeping things simple, natural, and safe so she can spend more time having fun. Every day she learns new things about making life at home easier and she loves to share it with you! ...

MORE FROM AMY

Discourage Dust from Your Lampshades

Using a dryer sheet can help your lampshades stay dust-free for longer. Since it is static electricity that makes ...

Discover More

Repair a Scratched Stainless Steel Sink

Stainless steel sinks take a lot of abuse in a lifetime. To revive the look of your stainless steel, use chrome polish ...

Discover More

Removing Calcium Stains

When you have hard water, calcium and magnesium can build up and create stains on your sinks, tiles, and other fixtures. ...

Discover More

Keep Your Hardwood Floors Like New Bona's hardwood floor cleaner is the #1 choice of professionals. The no-residue formula is specially designed to be safe for floors, families, and the environment. Check out Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Refill today!

More Cleaning Tips

Teaching Your Children to Recycle

Recycling can seem like a chore, but getting kids excited about it can help get them to recycle, too. There are many fun ...

Discover More

Cleaning Your Children's Toys

Have you ever noticed how children's toys, just like children, get dirty over a period of time? Instead of letting that ...

Discover More

Cleaning My House

Cleaning your house can seem like a huge job. If you set up a schedule for daily cleaning, however, you can keep things ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six more than 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.