How to Properly Clean a Wine Glass

Having some company over and feeling a little insecure about your nice wine glasses? You know, water spots, smudges or a cloudy effect tarnishing their look? You’re not alone. Lucky for all of us, there’s a simple wine glass cleaning technique that makes stemware perfectly presentable.

It’s a simple, three-step process to clean a wine glass.

1.      Sudsy Sponge Bath

First, wash the wine glass by hand in warm water with a little bit of fragrance-free dish soap. A soft sponge will cut through the fingerprints, lipstick, and the wine stains. Hold the glass firmly by the stem and get inside of the glass (the bowl) to reach the old wine. Also pass over the outside of the glass to clean away fingerprints and the rim for lipstick. Now your glass is clean, but sudsy.

2.     Touch of Bleach

Secondly, twirl the glass around in a large bowl of clean water. Adding a few drops of bleach to a gallon or so of water gives the rinse an extra disinfectant power. Don’t worry. This will not make your wine glasses smell or taste of bleach, but it will really get your stemware shiny and disinfected.

3.     Flour Sack Finish

Thirdly, hand-dry with a flour sack towel – not a terrycloth dish towel, which most people have stocked their kitchen with. Flour sack towels are large, thin, absorbent cotton towels that are perfect for drying wine glasses. We recommend dedicating some to your wine glasses. When it’s time to throw your flour sack towels in the wash, remember not to add fabric softener so they don’t pick up a fragrance that could impart to the wine glasses you dry.

In case of a wine glass cleaning emergency, a microfiber towel will work in place of a flour sack towel.

Voila!  No water spots, no cloudiness. Just beautiful wine glasses.

And check out our online store for Michigan and Chateau Grand Traverse glassware. They make great gifts for the Michigan wine lover in your life – or yourself! Package them up with a case of your favorite Chateau Grand Traverse wine or a membership to the Chateau Grand Traverse Wine Club.

Who wouldn’t toast to that? Clink!