How To Clean Vases With Narrow Necks

What is the best way to clean glass vases, decanters and bottles? Our guide gives you several methods using home remedies to clean even difficult shapes.

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Glass vases, decanters and bottle quickly look unsightly when lime and discolouration form. This contamination can be removed with simple means. Even in tight and narrow-necked shapes!

A bouquet of flowers can enhance any apartment. In order for the colorful flower heads to really inspire, it depends on the condition of the flower vases used. With frequent use, unsightly edges and deposits quickly develop on glass vases. The edges of dirt on narrow vases are particularly annoying. The following tips will help you to easily clean vases and avoid unsightly stains and deposits, and can also be used for decanters and bottles.

Remove deposits

The bouquet looks pretty in the glass vase. But the joy is quickly clouded. After a few days, an unsightly film forms on the vase floor. Plant parts, soil particles and other water components are responsible for this. The layer of dirt hardens and is difficult to remove.

Vases with a wide neck can be cleaned with conventional bottle brushes. So that the incrustations can be removed better, a little washing-up liquid is first put on the vase floor. You can also use a mild vinegar cleaner and let it soak in briefly before scrubbing the floor with the bottle brush. After cleaning, the vase is rinsed thoroughly with warm water.

Can vases be cleaned in the dishwasher?

Dirty vases belong in the dishwasher – this idea is obvious, but is not the best solution. Glass vases should be cleaned by hand. The high temperatures during the rinsing process could cause the thin glass to burst. It is therefore also not advisable to rinse dirty flower vases with boiling water.

Solid porcelain vases, however, can be put in the dishwasher. In any case, it is advisable to clean the vases immediately after use. If the dirt film hardens, it is all the more difficult to remove.

Simply clean narrow vases, decanters and bottles

clean glass vases, decanters and bottles

Conventional bottle brushes fail when cleaning vases with a particularly narrow neck. Even getting through with your hands is impossible.

Alternatively, you can use various home remedies:

➩ Small bottle brushes
There is a large selection of bottle brushes. The size should correspond to the narrowest vase to be cleaned. If you are unsure about this, you can take the vase to the shop to buy the bottle brush. The bottle brush should be flexible and have a soft tip so that the vase is not scratched during cleaning.

➩ Wooden spoon
If a suitable bottlebrush is not found, awooden spoon can largely replace it. A thin, soft cloth is wrapped around the handle. Then the wooden spoon is inserted into the narrow vase neck and you can easily rub off the dirty walls and bottom of the vase with this simple tool.

➩ Cleaning pearls
For cleaning narrow vases, commercially available cleaningpearls can also be used. Put the small cleaning pearls in the vase. Then fill up with a little water and set the cleaning beads in rotating movements. The movement creates friction, which loosens the film on the vase floor.

Warning: vases made of thin glass could shatter during violent movements. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using this tip.

Clean calcified vases, decanters and bottles

If dull spots and yellowish discoloration appear on the inner walls of the flower vase, lime is often the cause. Lime deposits or calcification occurs when the water in the container evaporates and the flowers slowly wither after several days in the vase.

Various household remedies can be used to clean calcified vases. So vinegar, baking powder or denture cleaner tabs can be dissolved in the vase floor. The water is filled up to the discoloration on the vase neck.

Home remedies should work for at least an hour. If you want to be on the safe side, leave the solution in the container overnight. The vase is then shaken gently and washed out thoroughly after the solution has been poured out.

Tip: dry the vases upside down to avoid unsightly edges.

If the vases have a very narrow neck, they can be put over a funnel and remain stable during the drying process.

The best home remedies to clean glass vases, decanters and bottles

In the household you can use many household remedies for cleaning . The following agents are very well suited to easily and gently remove deposits from vases:

Coffee grounds
Grains of rice
baking powder
sand
Denture cleaner tabs

Clean glass vases, decanters and bottles with coffee grounds

Coffee grounds are found in almost every household. If this is collected in a lockable container, there is always a versatile home remedy available. The coffee grounds are evenly distributed on the vase floor. After infusing with hot water, the solution should work for several hours. Then it is shaken vigorously and the mixture is poured off. If the result is unsatisfactory, the application can be repeated any number of times.

Rice grains

A particularly effective way to clean vases with a narrow neck is a mixture of grains of rice, salt and vinegar. The mixture is placed in the vase. After filling up with a little water, the mixture should take effect for about an hour. Then it is shaken vigorously and the mixture is poured off. The rice grains reach every corner, even in hard-to-reach containers, and remove deposits without residue. After pouring, the vase is rinsed thoroughly with clear water several times.

Baking soda

Baking soda is a particularly versatile cleaning agent that can replace a variety of chemical products. A packet of baking soda is poured into the vase and mixed with a little hot water. The mixture should work for about an hour. Then the mixture is shaken vigorously and poured off. If there are still deposits in the vase, you can help with a thin bottle brush or a wooden spoon wrapped in a cloth.

Sand

Vases can also be cleaned with conventional sand. Similar to the cleaning pearls described, there is a rubbing effect that loosens dirt and deposits. The bottom of the vase should be covered with sand. A little warm water is poured over it. If you swing the vase back and forth slightly, the dirt will be gently and gently removed.

Tip: The cleaning effect can be improved if the sand is replaced several times.

Denture cleaner tabs

If baking soda comes into contact with water, it starts to bubble. A similar reaction can be observed when crushed denture cleaner tabs are placed in the vase and mixed with a little water. This method is also suitable for heavily soiled vases. The mixture should take effect overnight and is then removed thoroughly.

Prevent dirty vases

If the flower water is changed daily, less deposits are created in the container. Limescale deposits in glass vases can be prevented if the flower water is boiled before use or if you let it run through a water filter.

Dirt marks in vases are often the result of bacteria. If a little sugar is added to the flower water, the bacterial formation can be inhibited. A similar effect can be achieved if a piece of charcoal is used instead of sugar.