Cleaning old bottles

[Big Al]

I have inherited about 40 brown glass pint bottles.
Some of them have some stubborn dirt on the bottom of the bottle. I have tried soaking them in very hot water but to no avail.
What is the best way to clean these bottles?

Dishwasher???

[floydmeddler]

Chuck in some sand and small pebbles. Add some hot water and swirl it around. Might help lift it.

[a-slayer]

Chuck in some sand and small pebbles. Add some hot water and swirl it around. Might help lift it.

That's what I do, handfull of grit in water and shake the hell out of it... never fails.

[AnthonyUK]

Oxyclean may help (the stuff from poundland is fine) and maybe a bottle brush.

[Bradsbrew]

I like the idea with the pebbles and sand, I've only ever struggled before using a long wire brush and hot water

[zgoda]

Few mililiters of domestos or other chlorine bleach do the job overnight.

[themadhippy]

Another vote for pounlands oxyclean,half a tub in 25 liters of hot water,fill each bottle and leave for a few hours,perferable in the bath .for realy stuborn suff the chain from the bath plug swirled around in the bottle losens most stuborn stains

[greenxpaddy]

Is it worth the hassle? Just wait for some bottles that are less dirty...........

[oldbloke]

Author of The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible reckons a short length of chain (eg bathplug stuff) makes a brill scourer.

I use soda crystals quite often.