sym.blue.ology

Where are the bottles made?
What type of etching process do you use?
How does sandblasting differ from acid-etching and machine etched bottles?
What is the cap made of?
Why do you use a plastic cap?
How do you clean the bottles?
How do you open the cap?
The cap is really tight, will it loosen up with use?
Do you offer replacement caps?
Can I put my sym.blue.ology bottle in the freezer?

Where are the bottles made?
The bottles are created in Italy and the sandblasting is done by our artists in here in the USA.  We do this to help minimize the transporting of bottles.  Once these bottles reach you, they can be reused an unlimited amount of times.
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What type of etching process do you use?
The bottles are hand sandblasted by gifted artists using special sandblasting equipment to create these beautiful images deep into the glass. 
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How does sandblasting differ from acid-etching and machine etched bottles?
With sandblasting we can achieve a deeper etch which has a remarkably pleasing textile feel, wheras acid-etching only changes the surface texture and the bottle remains smooth.  Machine-etched bottles can be quite nice, but we have found that they cannot match the depth and artistry of the hand sandblasting.
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What is the cap made of?
It is made of BPA-free polypropylene plastic with a rubber gasket.
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Why do you use a plastic cap?
There are several reasons.  The bottle producer informed us that now the US bans the use of porcelain caps used in conjunction with recyclable glass bottles as they do not mix well in the recycling process.  Of course these bottles will be used over and over in a different sort of recycling process.  Porcelain caps are available from China, but we have chosen NOT to use those as we cannot guarantee the quality of the finish.  We also discovered that using porcelain caps can be very noisy and
"clangy"  when opening and closing the bottles.
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How do you clean the bottles?
These bottles are designed to carry water for the most part.  It is a good idea to clean them regularly using either grapefruit seed extract,  hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar.  Rinse thoroughly.  If you have a Water Ionizer, you can use the acidic water to soak the inside of the bottle overnight. It is recommended to clean about 1x per week or so.  They can also be put into the dishwasher if desired.  The design is permanent and will never wash away.
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How do you open the cap?
The easiest way is to either pull with thumb and forefinger, creating a leverage with the base of forefinger against the bottle or push with two thumbs the two bent-wire connections found on each side of the cap.  Do NOT try to pry open the wire that is tightly clasped to the bottle--this can result in broken fingernails and discomfort to the finger.  A little practice and you will be opening these bottles easily with one hand!  Please see video and images by visiting the "One Handed Opening" page.
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The cap is really tight, will it loosen up with use?
Yes, these will loosen up and be easier to use.  The bottle will always remain leak-proof as long as the top is lined up in the proper position when closing.
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Do you offer replacement caps?
Yes, these are available on our ACCESSORIES page. 
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Can I put my sym.blue.ology bottle in the freezer?
No!! Please do not put it in the freezer as it will crack! Water expands as it freezes. You can cool off your Solarized Blue Water in the refrigerator with no problem.
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