Glowing liquids

I wanted to have a mad scientist bottle and jar display as part of my decorations this year. I also wanted to make use of my old black light if possible. There are many substances that glow in UV light. I tried three things this year.

My first and simplest was to combine liquid soap and water. Many sites recommend specific soaps/detergents but I had to find something that I already had to work with. I ended up using a little shampoo. Unlike the clothes detergent I have, it did not cloud or color the water plus it smelled nice ;). I then added a small amount of blue food coloring. In regular light it looked like a basic blue liquid but would then glow when the lights went out and the UV was turned on. My wife liked this one best.

The second I tried was from inspired by a scientific website. Take some fresh spinach, muddle the leaves and add enough rubbing alcohol to cover. Let steep for a few hours and then strain. The liquid should be a dark but clear green. (I did two batches to fill the bottle I chose without diluting the color with more alcohol or water.) Under a black light, the green changes to a deep, almost blood red. The effect was very cool but the way my lighting was set up, it was hard to see. After about two weeks, I noticed the green was slowly turning brown. I went ahead and dumped it out to try something else so I didn't get any photos but will try to get some later.

The last experiment I did was based on several recommendations found on the web using highlighters. I bought a four color pack at Wal-Mart because I wanted as many colors as I could get (if it worked). I took the highlighter apart and soaked the insert in cup of hot water (others have suggested alcohol). The blue and green didn't work as well as I hoped but the yellow was intense. It was so bright it overshadowed everything else that glowed. Next year, I'll have to dilute it down a little.

Once you decide on a liquid, you'll have to put it in an appropriate bottle. I've had several in my shop that I've had various other plans for, so I just pulled those out. Specifically, I used a mini sake bottle, a Chambord bottle, a Martinelli's apple bottle, and a Orangina bottle. All chosen for their shape and with their labels removed. If I had more time, I would've finished the bottles with faux antique scientific labels and maybe some other customization. I think I did well with the little time that I was able to put into them.