Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-06
CLEANING BOTTLES.
Ingenious Devices for Removing All
 Traces of Former Contents.

Ingenious Devices for Removing All
 Traces of Former Contents.
 There arc probably few old-fashioned bottlers who clean not only temperance drlnk bottles, but also wine bottles with shot; but that is not tho 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 cleansed, without the use of shot.
 Ordinary root beer and sarsapariua bot ties arc easily cleaned, because the material used in them is readily and quickly soluble in cold water. Tue bottles are dumped, throat up into big tub of clean cold water, which is kept clean by constant replenish- ment. Each bottle is quickly filled and al- lowed to soak short time. Then the clean CT 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 arc inverted and allowed to drain off As they arc 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 soda-water bottles is more carefully done. Here warm water IS used, and the workman manipulates four pronged tool that looks like fork Each prong is mounted with stiff 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 the outside of the bottle, and the rolling hCip bn Ia IL. tact with the rubber blade. A few yigor- ous rolls clean the bottle thoroughly, and then it IS rinsed and ready for use.
 Still another process is used for lager beer bottles, which require even more wig orous washing. This is done by 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 off the scum Each bottle then gets thorough internal securing
 It is, in fact, an essential element of suc- cess in the bottling business to keep the bottles clean, and no manufacturer who ex- poets to keep his custom would dare neglect the essential element of cleanliness. The element ot cost prevents, if no other con- sideratiOns could do so, the slow and tedious method of cleaning bottles with shot. There was bottle-Washing maciue 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 rattled about, will clean a bottle well. Of course, II a bottle has been filled with any greasy substance the only way to clean it thorough ly is with strong allzali, and this is done by all careful bottlers