Repair > MiscellaneousAugust 09, 2009

Removing a Jammed Glass Decanter Stopper

My heirloom spherical crystal decanter, with some whiskey in it, has the crystal stopper so firmly jammed that it has been unopened for 20 years. I have tried heat, cold, liquid wrench, etc., to no avail. Even glassware experts decline to try. Can someone advise me of how to remove it safely?

By p.graham from Kamloops, BC, Canada

Answers

Read answers for this post below.

By
11/29/2010

Hello! I was just able to remove a stuck stopper in a very old crystal decanter. A few details: My decanter was filled with water for a very long time and nothing would get it out! So I put olive oil on the area where the stopper was stuck and than placed the decanter on the flat surface of my stove-top while baking chicken at 325 degrees. It did not budge until I raised the temperature to 400 for the last 15 minutes to brown the meat. Be careful! I think what helped in my case was that the decanter was full of water. Hope this helps. I was so pleased with the results, I had been trying just about everything.

By
08/13/2009

Try soaking it in a tub or sink filled with very hot boiling water so that the whole bottle is under the water. You may even try to put some dawn dish soap in it too for a few hours, or until the water cools enough to get your hands in. Try to open in under the water, hold the bottle with one hand and use a wash cloth to try and pull it off.

Shirley, golden7673 AT yahoo.com

By
08/10/2009

WOW!!! ... THRIFTY FUN RULES AGAIN!

By
08/10/2009

The combination of WD40 (tried alone, unsuccessful) AND a quite hot, wet dishcloth wrapped around the neck, with previous dipping of the stopper in crushed ice, allowed the tapping with a wooden spoon to free the twenty-year-stuck stopper. Granny's heir-loom decanter lives again. Thank you!

By
08/10/2009

You could also try using WD40 and spray around the stopper and lip of decanter, leaving it set a few minutes if you're not concerned the whiskey is affected.

By
08/10/2009

Wrap the neck of the decanter in a fairly hot, damp towel and use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently tap opposite sides of the stopper. Then pour two or three drips of cooking oil around the decanter's rim and leave in a warm place.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

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