I have found that the best and cheapest way to clean the inside of bottles is to use vinegar and baking soda. The soda will cause the vinegar to fizz; so, it reaches all areas inside the bottle. Be sure to leave room for the fizzing process to take place inside the bottle. You may have to give the bottle a few shakes, but this works really well for me.
By qsuzie from Booneville, AR
This page contains the following solutions.
Rinse obvious debris out of the bottle. Then put two tablespoons of powdered, automatic dishwashing detergent in the bottle. Or place one tablespoon salt, and one teaspoon dish soap in bottle. Add very hot water until 1/3 full.
A quick and easy way to dry the inside of bottles or decanter that can't be dried with a brush or rag on the inside is to take about 3/4 cup of quinoa grain and swirl it around the inside of the bottle.
Use raw uncooked rice to clean tall or irregularly shaped bottles that have difficult-to-reach areas. Add a little water, some rice, and a small amount of dish soap/detergent.
Use denture cleanser tablets to clean the inside of the bottles. Put in the tablet (break up to fit), add water, and shake.
I shake a small amount of rough cut small gravel with some detergent and water to clean our bottles that have stuff stuck to the inside. Just strain off and rinse the gravel, let dry, and it is ready for next time.
I had an old glass Bo Peep Ammonia bottle. I was thrilled with it, because I love anything vintage. However, it had a very small mouth. The idea to clean it, was to use a small piece of a shim, cut lengthwise (make sure you cut a piece as small as the mouth of the bottle).
Fill the object with straight, plain vinegar and letting it sit for a day or two. If this does not work then add a bit of sand to the vinegar and shake it really well, repeatedly.
One of the best methods I have found is to buy the tablets for cleaning dentures. Depending on how large the bottle is, drop a whole one or 1/2 of one in the bottle and add hot water.
Use 2 Tbsp. of Oxi Clean, fill with water and shake. Leave overnight and use a bottle brush the next morning.
Put in some coarse salt inside the bottle with a bit of water and swirl it around. The salt scours off the crud and it can be rinsed out easily. Repeat if necessary.
I have found putting granulated dishwasher soap in the bottle, filling it with the hottest water possible, and letting it soak overnight works well.
Cleaning the inside of a glass bottle can be problematic, especially if the neck is narrow or the bottle quite small. This is a page about cleaning dirty glass bottles.
Milk can leave a difficult to remove haze inside a glass bottle. Vinegar or denture tablets are two methods you might try at home. This is a page about cleaning a Borden's milk bottle.
