HOW TO CLEAN WINE GLASSES
Cloudy wine glasses don’t have to rain on the family’s next dinner party or special occasion. Follow these wine glass cleaning tips from the housekeeping experts at Virginia Housekeepers and have your wine glasses ready to go in no time.
Best Way to Clean Wine Glasses
All that’s needed to bring wine glasses back to like-new condition is (1) white vinegar and (2) a plastic scrubber or nylon net. Once you have your materials, follow these instructions for achieving crystal-clear wine glasses:
- Warm the vinegar by dunking the bottle in a sink of hot water for 1 minute.
- Drain the sink and refill with warm vinegar. (Use a bowl if you’re just cleaning a couple of glasses.)
- Place the wine glasses in the vinegar for one hour.
- Use the nylon net or plastic scrubber to remove the film.
- Thoroughly rinse the wine glasses in hot water.
- Dry your wine glasses with a flour sack towel or other lint-free towel.
- Once dry, place your crystal-clear wine glasses on the table or on display.
- Cheers!
How to Clean Stained Wine Glasses
Red wine drinkers are familiar with the red wine stains left behind by that last bit of wine left in the bottom of the glass. To prevent this, simply rinse your glass after you’re done using it – especially if it’s going to sit in the sink overnight! But that doesn’t always happen. What makes these stains especially difficult is the shape of the wine glass. Unless you have small hands or a bottle cleaner, scrubbing the stain is not going to be easy. Try this method:
- Soak your wine glass in warm vinegar for one hour.
- Create a bottle cleaner by wrapping a kitchen towel around a fork.
- Scrub away at the wine stain in the bottom of the glass.
- Clean the rest of the glass with a nylon net or plastic scrubber.
- Thoroughly rinse the glass in hot water.
- Dry your wine glass with a lint-free towel
If that still doesn’t work, fill the bottom of your wine glass with white vinegar and drop in a spoonful of baking soda. The chemical reaction should loosen any stains that remain. Scrub the stains with your makeshift bottle cleaner, then rinse in hot water and dry your glass with a flour sack towel or other lint-free towel.
Is It Safe to Put Wine Glasses in the Dishwasher?
Washing by hand is by far the most effective wine glass cleaning method. In a pinch, though, the dishwasher is a suitable option – but maybe not for your best wine glasses. If you do use the dishwasher, Virginia Housekeepers recommends a delicate cycle and leaving plenty of room between your wine glasses to prevent clinking. Dishwashers are more likely to leave behind scratches, which can make the glasses appear cloudy or dirty.
