Found a grubby old bottle!

[johnnytheboy]

So I found a really old but intact barrs bottle in a cow field, I want to clean it up for sloe gin,

Is this possible to get this clean, food safe?

 

[Chris]

Thorough scrub with soapy water and a soak in bleachy water, with a good rinse out afterwards would probably be my approach assuming it’s definitely not damaged inside.

 

[johnnytheboy]

it doesn’t seem damaged just muddy, it could make quite a nice item tbh!

Thank you for the above!

 

[Pattree]

Glass or ceramic?

Winemakers have some powerful sterilants
If it’s stoneware once you’ve sterilised it, fill it up right to the top and leave it for a day or so. If the level drops the glaze may have gone.

 

[johnnytheboy]

It’s glass!

 

[Nice65]

You can shake it with sandy grit and water inside to scour any algae off.

 

[homesicksteve]

All the above, and a soak, shake, & rinse with vinegar.

 

[Great egret]

Be carefull, old glass can contain lead which is harmful for your health.

 

[Macaroon]

Steradent denture cleaner is your friend, totally foodsafe.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Be carefull, old glass can contain lead which is harmful for your health.

I doubt that pop bottles would contain lead; that was added to more expensive tableware.

If you really want to be sure, you can get lead testing swabs. I bought some for my daughter when she started buying old ceramics.

 

[Mesquite]

Any chance of a picture of it?

 

[Nice65]

Any chance of a picture of it?

I was going to ask the same.

 

[Sooty22]

We make beer and the bottles often end up left for weeks after drinking, resulting in some pretty hard-to-remove dried yeast residues near the bottom. That stuff is hard to remove. Warm water with dish soap, leave it to soak for a bit, empty it, stick some sharp sand in it along with a bit of water and shake it thoroughly.
If you want it fully sterile, you'll need to use a sterilising solution or -like we do- boil the bottle for a few minutes.
Careful not to put a cold bottle in boiling water, that will probably crack it in no time. Pour some warm water in it first and let it get to temp, then into the boiling water.