How can I clean/restore a glass bottle?

[Bob3]

Active ingredient in Edfred is Phosphoric Acid.

Hey, same as Coca Cola!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The primary acidity in Coca Cola is the carbonic acid formed by CO2 and water. It only
contains trace amounts of Phosphoric Acid.

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/acid.asp

 

[pasley]

Phosphoric Acid aka Coke a cola or vinegar should do it without damage to the glass. You just need to disolve the limestone (shell) and salt deposits.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I dug around in my e-mail archives. There's 41 mg of phosphoric acid in a 12 oz (355 ml)
coke. A ml is a gram, more or less, where water is concerned. So

.041g / 355 ml = 0.000115492958, or about .01%. That's not going to do much
cleaning. (The carbonic acid, however, might).

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

I have used muriatic acid - it's some serious stuff and great if you're in a hurry - don't be. A drop splashed in the wrong spot is a BA-AAD thing. Drop an encrusted bottle into muriatic acid and it will look like an alka seltzer. It will also ruin ceramics - gives it a greenish tint. - with acid, wearing gloves, safety glasses, etc - you can easily drop a nice bottle - been there, done that - best bet is any weak acid and PATIENCE. Patience is the best way to clean a bottle- vinegar, even orange juice is good, neither are caustic, hard to find or difficult to handle or dispose of....but they will take longer

 

[Kennedydive]

I have used muriatic acid - it's some serious stuff and great if you're in a hurry - don't be. A drop splashed in the wrong spot is a BA-AAD thing. Drop an encrusted bottle into muriatic acid and it will look like an alka seltzer. It will also ruin ceramics - gives it a greenish tint. - with acid, wearing gloves, safety glasses, etc - you can easily drop a nice bottle - been there, done that - best bet is any weak acid and PATIENCE. Patience is the best way to clean a bottle- vinegar, even orange juice is good, neither are caustic, hard to find or difficult to handle or dispose of....but they will take longer

I agree with much of the above except the ceramics. I've put stone wear, plates, silver, and brass in the acid. The metals can not stay in very long or you will damage them but the ceramics and glass I've left in for weeks at a time although I did not have to. The other methods work as well but I'm a bit impatient most of the time and want my treasures up on the shelves within a day or so.
Jason

 

[pasley]

In the end, you really don't need anything really very strong. Just a weak acid of some kind to disolve the limestone deposits and mud. And if you try one thing and it does not work, try somthing different. The good news is it is glass, so most things will not hurt it, but if it were me I would start with the common household stuff like Coke or Vinagar and then work my way to the stronger stuff. Put it in pure vinagar, which is cheap by the gallon and let it sit for a day or two and then see what you got. If after a little elbow grease you need somthing stronger move up. That will simplify the disposal problems.