Party prep: How to clean wine glasses so they sparkle

Drinking from wine glasses definitely feels fancier than cleaning them – but cleaning them is a breeze. And your eggnog or mulled wine feels much nicer in a crystal-clear glass (at least at the beginning of the party).

Here’s what to do with wine glasses to get them ready to toast the season.

How to clean cloudy wine glasses: A step-by-step guide

Read on for our step-by-step guide for how to clean crystal glasses, painted, or even glittered wine glasses.

1. Cup your hand around the bottom of the bowl, with your fingers either side of the stem.
2. The best way to clean wine glasses is to rinse them off under lukewarm running water. If you have recently cleaned your glassware, this may be all you need to bring back their shine.
3. Using a long handled sponge, and wipe the glass clean. Pay special attention to the rim, bottom of the glass and outside of the bowl.

   Tip

   For the stubborn ruby red lipstick marks and other stains you can't seem to shift, use a mild, odourless washing-up liquid to buff your wine glass clean.

4. Rinse your glassware well, inside and out with clean, fresh, lukewarm water.
5. Lay down a sheet or two of Plenty's super absorbent original paper towels.
6. Place the wine glasses upside down on the paper towel and leave them to air dry.
7. If you live in an area that has hard water, use a lint-free Plenty paper towel to dry and polish the wine glass and prevent hard water stains.
8. If you're wondering how to clean a glass decanter, follow the same steps above. For stubborn stains:
   • Add approximately 2cm of salt to the decanter.
   • Add double the amount of white wine vinegar.
   • Place your hand over the top and shake the decanter gently.
   • Rinse well after, to remove all traces of vinegar smell and taste.

How to polish wine glasses: Top tips to clean and shine your glasses

A spit'n'shine isn't quite going to cut it on your beautiful glassware. Here are some top tips for how to clean wine glasses:

• Always hold the glass by the bowl, not the stem as this is the most fragile part and could easily break during cleaning.
• Only use lukewarm water, as hot water could cause the glass to crack and shatter.
• Take care to never use steel wool, scouring pads or anything with stiff plastic bristles as these could scratch your glassware.
• Crystal is porous in nature, which means it could leave you with a soapy Christmas cocktail when you next use it if you don’t rinse it thoroughly!
• If you're wondering, “can you put wine glasses in the dishwasher” the answer is: no. We recommend you avoid using the dishwasher as this could cause your glasses to become cloudy.

So, now you know the best way to clean wine glasses. And when they’re clean and waiting to be used, anyone can whip the glasses out of the cupboard for a bit of instant Christmas spirit.