Cleaning Bottles

[tnt56]

I'm sure this has been covered before but please bare with me. I've got some empty 3ml amber glass bottles with eye droppers, that I'm wanting to reuse. One night I gave them a good 15min boil, rinse, 15min boil, rinse, then upside to dry. Next day repeated the same process. 2 boils and 2 rinses. Air dry overnight. Brought em and all the 30ml and 50ml bottles to work and got ready to fill the little ones up. They all still smell of old juice. Can the glass bottles be cleaned? I really thought the boiling would work. It's time for me to ask the pro's. Thanks.

 

[GrannyM]

Wow, you really sterilized those suckers
Glass shouldn't retain odor; perhaps the rubber on the droppers is the problem?

 

[adeline]

Try vinegar. White should do fine.

I don't know much about rubber droppers, but they will hold the smell. If vinegar is safe for rubber (experts please chime in here), I'd give it all a good bath.

 

[tnt56]

When I cleaned the droppers I rinsed em in Everclear. Maybe I should ask my gf if she can smell anything?

 

[adeline]

Eh, vinegar is a natural deodorizer, which is why I suggested it.

 

[tnt56]

I'm sorry but I'm laughing. I use vinegar in my CPAP breathing equipment. I tried once to clean some vaping stuff with it and didn't get it rinsed good enough. Needless to say vinegar and juice and vapor DO NOT MIX. I will try the vinegar though. I'll try and do it just like my breathing equipment. About a 3 to 1 ratio maybe?
And I'll be extra sure it rinse extremely well this time. Thanks adeline.

 

[parkins5322]

Baking Soda is also a natural odor neutralizer, it is safe on rubber as well. I normally use a toothbrush with some baking soda on it and just scrub all my non glass parts while the glass ones are being boiled.

Ken

 

[Charlie C]

I do a couple of different things that work for me.
First method is to fill them with soda pop like 7 up or mountain dew and leave them overnight. Coke works great too.
Then I wash them in warm water with dishsoap and rinse in hot water.
It IS the dropplers that keep the smell.

Another good thing to use is lemon and or lime juice overnight and then the same.

Third. I use them for juices that I carry when I go out.

 

[TheAngryBovine]

Have you tried iso alcohol?

 

[James416]

I think this is a lesson to us all, use glass only!! No plastic!! My bottles have glass droppers

 

[tnt56]

Have you tried iso alcohol?

Actually Everclear has a more pure alcohol content than ISO does, least I think it does. Everclear is 190 proof pute grain alcohol.

 

[tnt56]

I think this is a lesson to us all, use glass only!! No plastic!! My bottles have glass droppers

The only part that's not glass is the rubber tops. The tubes are glass also.

 

[James416]

The only part that's not glass is the rubber tops. The tubes are glass also.

that is correct, but I make sure to not flip them or squeeze so much the juice comes into the rubber dropper top, with that said I also have never had any issues with smell etc

 

[BikerBob]

If they are glass, what about searching for 'how to clean test tubes', or other similar chemistry lab equipment? Just need to watch out for the parts that are *not* glass...such as a plastic cap or rubber dropper bulb.

 

[Kemosabe]

i clean my bottles (glass and plastic) in warm soapy water. i let them sit in a soapy bath overnight and in the morning i rinse them out and theyre good as new. a small percentage of the bottles retain the smell (the stronger, more flavored ones typically, but not always), and those i just chuck or refill with the same juice.

 

[Tracker II]

i clean my bottles (glass and plastic) in warm soapy water. i let them sit in a soapy bath overnight and in the morning i rinse them out and theyre good as new. a small percentage of the bottles retain the smell (the stronger, more flavored ones typically, but not always), and those i just chuck or refill with the same juice.

My procedure exactly.