I have always prided myself on being pretty resouceful and attentive. Upon the discovery of the abundance of trash in my own backyard, I have taken it upon myself to clean the island behind my house. Cleaning river glass and collecting trash is going to be a big part of my life now. I have already removed five 30 gallon trash bags full of various items, and I am beginning to see some things that can be used in new and interesting ways. I found an insert for a crock-pot. It has become a small succullent garden. There was a rusted, old stool. It is now a functional and cute plant stand. I have always incorporated using vintage items in my decor. This post is all about how to clean river glass with simple household items.
The various glass bottles and jars that I am finding will be very useful and attractive additions to the house hold decor. They desparately need to be throughly cleaned, soap and water can only go so far. Due to the convaluted nature of some of these bottles, brushes are not always very effective either.
What you need
- Dish Soap
- Warm Water
- Thin brush
- Salt
- Isopropol Alcohol
- Small pebbles
- Wash Cloth or Towel
Step 1 How to clean river glass
Thoroughly wash bottles with dish soap and water. Allow them to soak in warm, soapy water for 20-30 minutes.
Step 2 How to clean river glass
Remove debris. Use a soft sponge or towel to remove debris from the outside and a soft, thin scrubber to clean and loosen debris from the inside.
My family and I are so blessed to live on the beautiful Guadalupe River. The air is crisp and clean, the river flows freely, and the sunsets are simply spectacular. There are some down sides though. Unfortunately litter is a big problem, even in paradise. With the litter everywhere and only becoming more of a problem, what else can we do?
These are just a few of the “treasures” I have found in the river and the island behind our home. The river water is very hard. It contains lime and calcium. The minerals leave a hard deposit of film on the glass that can be very difficult to remove.
Step 3 How to clean river glass
For tough removal of stains and “gunk” alcohol, salt, and small pebbles will come in handy. Pour about a tablespoon of salt, 1/4 cup alcohol, and a small handful of pebbles.
Agitate the bottle to attemt to loosen debris. It may take 5-30 minutes, depending upon the level of dirt and grime. Watch this 60 second video for a demonstration
You may need to repeat the entire process multiple times. Be cautious due to the nature of glass, some containers may be too damaged to clean but they can still be used in your decor.
We can all clearly see the debris on the side of the highways and farm roads. The litter is also choking the waterways we all depend on. All rivers eventually lead to the ocean and the oceans are suffering from the contamination of all sorts of trash and pollution. There are currently multiple garbage patches circumnavigating the globe. The most popular of these “islands” of trash is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is approximately three times the size of France, consisting of almost 2 billion pieces of debris and micro plastics. It is responsible for killing millions of marine life every year. More information on them can be found here.