WW2 Plastic Canteen oxidation clean-off

[Keith]

I have a WW2, amber colored plastic canteen that has a coating of white on it. I can scrape it off slowly with my fingernail. I have tried Magic Eraser; Bathroom cleaner with bleach; vinegar, WD-40, etc. Nothing cuts it quickly. I did not let it soak in the vinegar? Anyone been there on this? Thanks.

[Keith]

I found a thread on this problem. I think the key is the warm-hot water a few minutes to soften it and then I used a magic eraser. There appears to be some on the inside also and I currently have the bottle filled with the hot water and letting it soak. If that doesn't do it I think I will fill it with vinegar and let that set for an hour or two. Regards.

[doyler]

Had one I used hot water and a soft nylon brush to scrub it..

[Keith]

Had one I used hot water and a soft nylon brush to scrub it..

 

Thanks Ron. The outside cleaned up well. I used the hot water and a magic eraser. After cleaning it and drying it I used Black Rock on it as a preventative measure to keep it clean. The hot water and vinegar did not help the few spots I see on the inside as it takes some rubbing, as the outside did, to remove them. There are not many and they do not distract from its beauty. Keith

 

[doyler]

Glad it worked out.

 

I have never cleaned the inside of one.

 

A old bar tender trick for cleaning the glass coffe pot that had set all day on the burner....Would take a handful of ice cubes and put in the coffe pot then pour in a generous amount of salt and then shake and swirl the coffe pot to agitate the ice salt mixture and it would clean the coffe scum residue off the glass.Then wash by hand.Saved a lot of scrubbing

[Keith]

I worked a little on the inside with a nylon bore brush. It knocked off all I could reach with it. Near the top, where a sharp bend would be needed, I could not get to them. I probably could take a bore brush and bend it 90 and get them but they are not bad enough to justify the effort!

[rmoore456]

I have a WW2, amber colored plastic canteen that has a coating of white on it. I can scrape it off slowly with my fingernail. I have tried Magic Eraser; Bathroom cleaner with bleach; vinegar, WD-40, etc. Nothing cuts it quickly. I did not let it soak in the vinegar? Anyone been there on this? Thanks.

 

That is actually the plastic deteriorating. I had a TL122 flashlight that kept getting a white coating on it. I would wipe it off, eventually all of the detail became smooth. Literally wiped off the nomenclature.

 

Ray

[doyler]

I worked a little on the inside with a nylon bore brush. It knocked off all I could reach with it. Near the top, where a sharp bend would be needed, I could not get to them. I probably could take a bore brush and bend it 90 and get them but they are not bad enough to justify the effort!

 

 

Maybe find a bottle brush?They are a bit larger in diameter and you may alsao be able to bend it to reach the inside shoulder areas