Opening a perfume bottle doesn’t need to be difficult. With a few tools, you can learn how to open a perfume bottle without breaking it in a few simple steps. That way, you can avoid making a big mess or, more importantly, wasting very expensive perfume.
How to Open a Perfume Bottle Without Breaking It
The good news is that most of the tools you need to open a perfume bottle without breaking it are really accessible. You probably have most of them in your home already. If you lack any of them, you can make adjustments by using alternatives where applicable.
You’ll need:
- Empty spray bottle
- Small funnel or a measuring cup
- Moist towelettes or tissues
- Safety pin (or something pointy that you can use without pricking yourself)
- Hardware Nipper
- Needle-nose pliers (or long-nose pliers)
Remember you are working with perfume bottles, which consist mostly of glass. At the same time, you are using tools that can easily harm you. With this in mind, you need to exercise extra caution.
Step 1: Take The Cap Off
Start by removing the cap of the perfume bottle. Take a close look at the bottle. In most cases, you will see a see a ring at the base where the nozzle or sprayer is.
You can use the long-nose pliers to remove it, pulling it upwards and off. Once you’re done, you should completely see the base of the nozzle and we can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Remove the Base
Get your nose pliers and use them to lift off the crimped base. You will also need to keep your safety pin handy. This is where you will need to discern the best way forward. Depending on the type of perfume bottle, you will need to use this information as a guideline.
As you lift off the crimped base, you will notice an opening where you can use the safety pin. If the base does not budge, try wiggling it. This should help loosen it. Wiggling can be best done using regular pliers.
Once the cap starts to get off, continue lifting until it is about 70% around the bottle. At this point, you should be able to remove the sprayer. After removing it, you will see the lip of the perfume bottle.
Additional Tip: Avoid tightly gripping the pliers. A grip that is too tight will probably break the lip of the bottle. If you happen to break the lip of the bottle, clean up immediately. Use your towelettes to clean the area with broken glass.
Step 3: Clean the Bottle Neck
Even if you successfully opened the perfume bottle without breaking it, it’s important you clean the neck of your bottle. Why? Sometimes there’s a bit of the crimped base left in the bottle of the neck that can get inside the bottle.
Use a tissue to ensure there are no pieces of material left around the neck of your perfume bottle. That’s it! Now, you can reuse your perfume bottle!
How to Remove Spray Topper Nozzles
Now that you’ve opened your perfume bottle, you might want to remove the spray top nozzle. This is particularly important if you’re not interested in refilling the bottle with more perfume and just want to keep it for another purpose.
The problem with some perfume bottles is they have spritzer nozzles that are a challenge to remove. They cannot be wiggled off or pried off even when you only use pliers. That’s we’ve decided to also discuss how to remove spray topper nozzles from a perfume bottle without breaking it.
Take note that the caps and nozzles can be easy to remove. The challenge is to remove them safely, without breaking the perfume bottle. This requires some know-how and effort. Use the information below as a guide on how to go about the process without breaking the bottle.
Tools You Need
The tools you need for this task include:
- A pocket knife or similar small knife
- A pair of scissors
- Pliers (especially Vampliers or lineman pliers)
- A steady and clean workplace
- Your perfume bottle
The Process
Start by holding the perfume bottle carefully. Make sure it is upright before you pull the nozzle straight up. This move should release the nozzle from the perfume bottle. In some cases, you may need to wiggle the nozzle to remove it.
Know you can use the pocket knife or scissors to cut away the plastic encasing. It is encased at the neck of the bottle. Be careful not to crack the perfume bottle. Use reasonable force to ensure you do not damage the perfume bottle.
You will see a metal piece adjoining the perfume bottle’s neck. Carefully use the tip of the pocket knife and insert it under the metal. Try to pry it gently in an upward and away direction from the perfume bottle.
Once it has been released, use your pliers to grasp the metal securely and pull it straight off the bottle. That’s it you are done!
Why Would You Want to Open a Perfume Bottle?
Since 1887 when Thomas DeVilbiss developed the first perfume atomizer, perfumes in crystal bottles used attached atomizers or screw tops. These bottles were easy to refill or reuse when the need arises.
Now, most perfumes come in gorgeous, specially designed bottles by many renowned designers around the world. It’s only natural many people feel tempted to reuse or keep the perfume bottle even after the perfume’s gone.
Conclusion
That is all you need to safely open any perfume bottle without breaking it. Always be careful when carrying out each step. Make sure you always firmly hold the empty perfume bottle when working on it to prevent it from toppling over or falling on its side.