Cleaning Swing-Top Bottles

I realize I may be confusing you by writing two posts in a single day...and if you want to look at today's first post, "Peaceable Eating", just click here.

Please forgive me...BUT, today I have a smidgen of extra time and I have this little helpful hint I want to share.

If you've read my tibicos updates, you've seen my recommendation of swing-top bottles. I still recommend them, but you may find, depending on what you use them for, that there is difficult to clean residue left behind.

First, do use hot soapy water to clean the bottles. But because soap is antibacterial, and when we do the lacto-fermentation thing, we are promoting GOOD bacteria to proliferate, we want to be sure to eliminate all traces of soap in our bottles. Sometimes we think we 'got it all' when in fact, we haven't. Also, dishwasher cleaners and rinses can be toxic, so use non-toxic brands.

To get rid of all traces of soap, simply rinse the bottle with some vinegar. Doesn't matter which type. If there is also a visible residue that isn't budging, do this:

Pour in some vinegar.
Add some salt.
Add crushed ice.
Shake like crazy.
Rinse with water and if you like, a bit more vinegar.

Your bottles should be nice and clean.

Do not seal them, but allow them to air-dry, upside-down if possible.

(Works on a large scale for coffee-pots, too!)

If you're out of vinegar, just use cold water...and this tidbit just goes to show that everything God puts before you to do in life will end up being beneficial in one way or another. I learned this trick when I worked in food preparation at a little restaurant on Chincoteague Island. They cleaned their coffee pots using water, crushed ice and salt...(That's how I know that you don't absolutely have to have vinegar, although the vinegar does do the additional work of ridding of all soap residue.)