Antique wine bottles make beautiful collectibles
Seventeenth century wine bottles are very different from those used today and are sought after as collectibles. Wine bottles from that period tend to be short, round and onion-shaped, rather than the long, thin bottles we know of today. They were handblown with a blowpipe and punty, or metal rod, meaning no two were exactly alike. Similarly, the relative price of glass meant most wine bottles from that period were refilled and reused many times, and few intact examples exist today. Often those that do become available have been untouched for decades, and they may be caked with dirt and residue. Given their value, cleaning them can be an intimidating task.
Examine your bottle
Examine your wine bottle for chips or cracks. If you find damage, you will need to be careful not to make it worse during cleaning.
Soak Overnight
Soak your 17th century wine bottle in warm to very warm water for eight to 10 hours. This will loosen any caked-on dirt or debris. Depending on how dirty the bottle is, you might find it beneficial to change the water and empty out the bottle a number of times during the process. It's perfectly acceptable to let the water cool down, but if you need to change the water, refill the container with warm to very warm water as this will help break down any dirt or mold residue and make the soaking process more efficient.
Use Baking Soda
If soaking the bottle for eight to 10 hours did not get it satisfactorily clean, the next step is to mix a solution of baking soda and very warm water and leave the bottle submerged in it for six to eight hours. Baking soda is effective at breaking up dirt and residue. Make sure to rinse the bottle thoroughly afterward, however, because baking soda will dry quickly and leave a white, powdery residue if it is not removed promptly.
Use a Bottle Brush
After soaking the bottle in water and baking soda, you can use a bottle brush designed for wine bottles to gently dislodge any remaining dirt or mold. A regular bottle brush might not fit through the bottle opening or be long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle. Be careful if the wine bottle is chipped or cracked; the bottle scrubbing process might make the damage worse. Fortunately, 17th century wine bottles tend not to be fragile -- the handblown glass means they're thicker than today's wine bottles. You should be able to scrub it fairly rigorously as long as it's not cracked.
Tags: wine bottles, century wine, eight hours, very warm, very warm water