Removing that Chalky Bead Release, Part II

So this is actually pretty funny.  I wrote a post a while back about using denture tablets to remove bead release.

Recently I received a shipment of beautiful Indian lampworked glass beads, all FULL of that nasty chalk.  But…no denture tablets arounds.  On a scheduled trip to the dentist, I asked for a sample, but they no longer provide them.  So…what to do?  GOOGLE IT, of course!

To my surprise, the very first thing that came up was my own blog!  That didn’t help me one bit – I already knew the denture tablet trick.  I couldn’t find another thing about it!

I gave it a little thought and decided to try a little trick I use to clean my sinks (thank you, Heloise.)  I put the beads in a plastic dishpan, put in some baking soda, and then covered the beads with vinegar!  The combination causes a lot of fierce bubbling.  I let the beads soak for a while, and when I drained off the vinegar solution, the bottom of the pan was thick with bead release.

So there you go…a cheap, eco-friendly way to clean beads.