Clean Your Vases

Stained by limestone and other mineral deposits, vases can lose their beauty over time.
Here’s how to efficiently clean your beautiful containers.

You’ll need:

• White vinegar
• Cloth
• Newspaper
• Bleach
• Coarse salt/Egg shells
• Water

Natural Solutions

There are many techniques around to get rid of tannin or other mineral deposits.
To safely clean your vases, here are some ideas:

• White vinegar: it can be used hot or cold. The idea is to let the vinegar work for several hours. Shake well before thoroughly rinsing. Make sure there’s no remnants of the vinegar inside the vase once you’re done.
• Coarse salt or egg shells: use them by themselves or with vinegar. They will give you excellent results. To do this, simply shake the mix vigorously, then rinse to give a new life to your vase.
• Newspaper: add a small amount of water, and then clean out the vase from inside out. This is especially useful if you can’t manually reach the bottom.

Regardless of the method used, drying is an essential step. If it’s impossible to dry with a cloth, you can use some paper towels, or let the vase drain upside down.

Chemical Solutions

For tougher stains or those left over time, some other products may be required.
Make sure to only use them if need be.

• Bleach: it needs to be very dilute to remove stains efficiently. It is recommended that you let the mix stand overnight for better results.
• Denture cleansers or Alka-Seltzer: believe it or not, these effervescent tablets work wonders when it comes to removing mineral deposits. Let the mix stand for 24 hours before rinsing well with clean water.
• Descaling products: more traditional, these cleaners will restore the luster to your glass vases.