Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-26
CLEANING BOTTLES.
Ingenious Devices for Removing 4
Traccs of Former Contents

Ingenious Devices for Removing All
Traces OF Former Contents.
There are probably few old fashioned
. bottlerS who clean not only temperance
drink bottles, but also WINE bottles with
shot; but that is not the practice in the
latest approved bottling establishments
says the New York Sun There is one in
South Fifth avenue where five thousand bot
ties are cleaned every day, and thoroughly
cleanscd, without the use Of shot.
Ordinary root beer and sarsaparilla bot
ties are ea-lly cleaned, because the material
used in them is readily and quickly soluble
In cold water. The bottles are dumped,
throat up, into big tub of clean cold water,
which IS kept clean by constant replenish-
ment. Each bottle is quickly filed and al
lowed TO soak q short time. Then the clean
or grasps three or four bottles in his two
hands, holding them throat up, and shakes
them vigorously. That is sufficient to dis
lodge the sugary coating, and then the bot
ties are inverted and allowed to drain off.
As they are made of transparent green
glass it is easy to see when they are clean
Care is taken to wash out any flies that
have been sepulchred in the bottle in their
search for sweet things. The old-fashioned
stone bottles that were formerly used for
root beer have long been discarded as too
heavy and costly.
The cleaning of saltwater bottles is
more carefully done Here warm water Is
used, and the workman manipulates a four
prOnged tool that looks like fork. Each
prong is mounted with a st,T blade of India
rubber, of such shape that when the prong
IS thrust into the bottle the rubber blade
reaches the inner side of the bottle In
front Of the workman is a cocoa mat This
serves a double purpose. The mat cleans
tho outside Of the bottle, and the rolling
brings the whole inside of the bottle in con-
tact with the rubber blade. A few vigor-
Gus rolls clean the bottle thoroughly, and
then it Is rinsed and ready for use.
Still another process is used for lager
beer bottles, which tcQuire even moro Wig
orous washing. This is done by a machine
with revolving spindles, on which are
placed rubber brushes. The bottle is thrust
over the spindle, which is run by steam.
and running water carries of the scum
Each bottle then gets thorough internal
securing.
1t is, in fact, an essential element Of sue
cess in the bottling business to keep the
bottles clean and no manufacturer who ex-
poets 70 keep his custom would dare neglect
the essential element of cleanliness The
element OF cost prevents, if no other con-
sideratlons could do SO. the slow and tedious
method Of cleaning bottles with shot. There
was bottle-vashing macine in use here not
long ago which cleansed bottles with revolv-
ing bristle brushes, but the wear and tear
OF bristles WAS found TO be too expensive
although the work done was very effective.
The substitution of rubber blades for the
bristles proves to be cheaper and quite as
thorough.
a much better way than the use of shot
for cleaning bottles is to put small piece
Of iron chain with small links into the bot
ties with some water. This, when ratified
about, will clean bottle well. OF course,
il q bottle has been filed with any greasy
substance the only way to clean it thorough
" is with strong alkali, and this Is done by
al careful bottlers