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How to Clean a Bottle Found in the Ocean

A bottle liberated from the ocean can make an interesting decor piece for your home, but it will need some cleaning before it is ready for display. After a long time in the salt water and sand, it will likely look cloudy and unattractive. It may also have the unpleasant scent of brine stuck inside the bottle. Fortunately, glass is a simple material to clean. Stick to non-abrasive cleaners so you don't diminish any of the fine details on the bottle.

Things You'll Need

Water
Vinegar
Bowl
Absorbent cloth
Toothbrush
Soap

Instructions

- 1
  Mix a concoction of one part vinegar and two parts hot water. Place the bottle in the water and vinegar. The concoction will eat away at the salt buildup from the outside of the bottle.
- 2
  Pull the bottle out of the water and dry it off with an absorbent cloth. Grasp the cap of the bottle with the cloth. Twist it slowly until you remove the cap.
- 3
  Brush out the threading on the inside of the cap and the neck of the bottle with a soft bristle toothbrush. Rinse it once you loosen all the sand buildup.
- 4
  Fill the inside of the bottle with pure vinegar. Allow it to sit in the bottle for three hours to remove salt and sand buildup trapped inside the bottle.
- 5
  Insert a bottlebrush into the bottle and swirl it around. Focus on the corners in the bottle where sand will be at its thickest.
- 6
  Empty the vinegar from the bottle. Replace it with hot, soapy water and put the cap on it. Shake the contents of the bottle until it fizzes up.
- 7
  Dump the contents of the bottle again. Rinse it out until there are no suds left.

Sea Glass Collecting