Hard to believe that Christmas will be here soon. Do you have a bottle collector on your shopping list? Here are some ideas of what to get them.
Bottle brushes are always a much needed item. This set of three brushes from Lee Valley are great for getting into the hard to reach places on those dirty bottles we find. http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=10209&cat=2,50560
bottle brushes 8.95
For those stubborn spots this kit works wonders. Using stainless steel ball bearings and a cleaning agent and a little water can do wonders. Just swirl the ball bearings around the bottle with the cleaning fluid of your choice and it can remove rust spots, grime and some stains. I’ve got one of these kits and it does help a great deal! http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=57618&cat=2,42194,40727
Bottle Washing Kit 22.50
Now for those stains and grime on the outside of the bottle. I use Bar Keepers Friend to clean ACL or Embossed bottles. Use a sponge, some water, elbow grease and Bar Keepers Friend to clean the bottle up. (Be sure and see my directions in the blog for cleaning ACL bottles with Bar Keepers Friend) It can be found at most grocery store chains as well as at hardware stores. http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/
A good go with would be sponges, one with a soft side and one with an abrasive side, a dish pan to use for bottles only, etc.
Now that you have the bottles all washed, how do you dry them? Leaving them upright with water in them can leave water spots on the glass. I use a Beer bottle tree, to dry out the bottles upside down, they can drain, won’t leave water spots on the inside of the bottles. Search for a beer bottle drying rack to find other versions on the web. Here are a few listed that you can check out: http://www.amazon.com/Beer-Bottle-Tree-45-Bottles/dp/B000OF8U76/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321363563&sr=8-1