How to Clean an Old Glass Aquarium with Vinegar and a Razor Blade

Cleaning an old glass aquarium instead of buying a new glass aquarium is a great way to save money when setting up a new fish tank. Depending on the amount of salt deposits and dirt that have adhered to the glass, the cleaning process can take a lot of effort. Plain white vinegar is common, inexpensive and acidic enough to dissolve salt deposits on old aquariums. By using just a razor blade and vinegar, an old aquarium can become a clean, like-new fish tank in no time.

Things You'll Need

  • Razor blade
  • Plain white vinegar
  • Paper towels
  • Plastic wrap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Begin by using the razor blade to scrape the dirt and salt from the insides of the aquarium. Do not use water, as it will act as a lubricant between the razor blade and the glass, making it much harder to get the dirt and salt deposits off of the aquarium. Take special care when scraping the glass near the sealant along the edges of the aquarium to prevent future leaks.

    • 2

      Dump out the scraped-off dirt and salt within the aquarium, and scrape the outsides of the tank if necessary. The tank should now be clean enough to see through the glass, but the glass may still seem a bit hazy. This is where the vinegar comes in.

    • 3

      Identify a hazy area on the glass and determine if the haziness is on the inside or outside of the aquarium. Soak a paper towel in vinegar and place it over the hazy area on the glass. The paper towel should be soaked enough to stick to the glass.

    • 4

      Cut a sheet of plastic wrap long enough to fit over the vinegar-soaked paper towel and place the sheet over it. Again, the paper towel should be soaked in vinegar enough for the plastic wrap to stick, effectively sealing the vinegar-soaked paper towel against the glass. The plastic wrap keeps the vinegar from evaporating.

    • 5

      Let the vinegar attack the salt deposits on the glass for 30 minutes or so, depending on how strong the salt has attached to the glass. The paper towel can even be left on the glass overnight for extremely caked-on salt deposits.

    • 6

      Remove the plastic wrap and vinegar-soaked paper towel and immediately begin scraping the glass again with the razor blade. The vinegar weakens the salt's hold on the glass, increasing the razor blade's effectiveness. Additionally, vinegar isn't toxic like other chemical cleaning agents. Wash the tank out with water once it's clean and enjoy setting up your new fish tank.