I use crushed egg shells to clean my bottles. It’ so effective, that I don’t bother with a bottle brush anymore. In fact, I started doing it because I couldn’t find a brush to fit into some of my bottles.

The eggs come from our own hens and when I cook with them I leave the egg shells in a little bucket on the window sill to dry out. When the bucket fills up, I crush them using the mortar and pestle and then I store them in another bucket under the kitchen sink so they are within easy reach.


I put a couple of tablespoons of crushed egg shell into a one litre bottle with about a cup of water and then shake. The egg shell is abrasive and acts like a scrubbing brush to remove debris. It works well with water only, but you can also add a drop of dishwashing liquid or use soapy water for extra cleaning power.


Once a bottle is clean, I tip the egg shell and water into the next bottle and clean it too. I have cleaned five bottles using the same two tablespoons of egg shell. When I’m done I scatter the egg shells around the garden or in the compost.
I think this is a great way to reuse egg shells and clean any hard to reach place. Give it a try.
What a fantastic idea! I have plenty of chook eggs so I will definitely be giving this a go!
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It’s great because it’s a use for egg shells that I actually needed, not some random crafty project that’s fun to do but not really useful.
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we don’t have egg shells in our home because we don’t have eggs except the rare occasions wifey needs them to make a cake. not the healthiest of ‘foods’ -KIA
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I was told rice works as well, but I’d rather eat it than use it for cleaning bottles. Sand might work if you really needed to get something clean.
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Thank you! Usually cook my eggs to crush them to give back to my girls in their feed for extra calcium. But now Ican also use them to tackle another problem I’ve had with some difficult to clean bottles. Cheers from Arizona!
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You really don’t need a lot of egg shell to do this, so your chooks won’t miss out. Thanks for your comment.
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This works! The kombucha from your SCOBY progeny was ready to be decanted for the first time today, but I couldn’t get to the tomato sauce grime left in the swing top bottle from its last use. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this method is. Thanks, Tammy.
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It’s a fantastic cleaning hack for sure! Oh great to hear! Did you like the taste?
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Yes, it’s quite delicious. I’ve heard that others add glace ginger, fruit or chai spices, etc, but I think I like it as is. Thanks again.
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What a clever idea!
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