Cleaning vases

bleach if going in the dishwasher doesn't do the trick

Bleach or dishwasher liquid works for me. Good in tea pots too. Just rinse well after

Bleach and baby bottle brush works for me

By the way, whilst talking about bleach - it's great for removing teastains from teaspoons - just put a little into some water and leave spoons soaking for a couple of hours.

who cleans vases ?, I just rinse them and let them dry, when they get the next lot of flowers in you cant see any stains.

I use Alka Seltzer tablets in water , leave for half an hour then rinse, works well.

Sloes are growing well in the hedges so will try the bleach method for the decanter. Thanks for your help.

Auntiekatie, love the idea of a wishdosher!! Is it a family name thingy, or just a typo. We called car parks, parcarks for ages after a little one renamed them. Dishwasher works for me and clean vases every time.

And mugs.

Auntiekatie, someone mentioned wanting to clean a decanter, hence taste issues.

Confused about why taste matters when cleaning vases? I always use steradent for perfect sparkling glass and crystal (and live with the embarrassment if having denture tablets in a non-denture household! ) and have seen Milton tablets work well too. Am sure soda crystals would be good too but perhaps more caustic?
Scottish too and couldn't do without both tumble drier and wishdosher though only tumble sheets and towels sheets and towels, everything else in drying cupboard. No time to run in and out between showers although there is something really nice and fresh about clothes dried outside.

As I recommended the 'Oxy' method, I tried it out on three pottery vases (my glass ones are still unstained) and it worked like a charm.

For glass vases that have very narrow necks I use rice grains, and shake them hard for a couple of minutes. The abrasive action gets rid of most stains and then I rinse them away and if necessary repeat. Most of the staining is algae anyway.

Since getting my smart meter, I've discovered that the tumble drier is my biggest consumer of electricity. so, despite the wet weather, I am trying to minimise its use. After all, if I hang garments on an airer they take longer than in the drier, but if Im in no hurry for them it doesn't matter. I have a narrow airer which i can hide in the bath when I'm not in it.

I wonder if bicarbonate of soda or even soda crystals would work? I use in teapots and it makes the tea stains lift off easily. I too have heard of the vinegar tip.

Soda chrystals in hot water seem to get most stains out of most things.

I'd try an oxygen stain remover like Vanish Oxy Action or any store's own brand. Put a scoop of the powder in the vase and add hot water. Leave it overnight. I hope you get a result one way or another.

You have central heating?

(joking )

I have 2 clothes driers to hang the washing on and when the central heating is switched on I find that the clothes dry overnight. I also have a dehumidifier which works a treat but I rarely use it. Ana being Scottish I would not pay the cost of drying clothes in a tumble drier!

I could never do without my tumble dryer, even though I don't use it a lot - how do you dry your washing, Charleygirl, in the depths of a rainy winter?

I've never had a dishwasher, so I suppose I don't know what I'm missing

I find that my dishwasher gets rid of most stains. I only put it on a quick wash so that the water does not become too hot. It is fabulous for coffee stains in mugs. I do appreciate that not everybody has a dishwasher. Spacewise mine was a toss up between a tumble drier and the dishwasher won hands down.

These are very good, and inexpensive. They're easy to use once you get the hang of them - use only a small amount of water and a few drops of washing up liquid.

My DGS1 used to put them in his pirate treasure chest, said they were gold beads

I agree - I use the bleach method with stained tea mugs and after a good rinse there is absolutely no hint of taste or smell.

Tiggy Bleach works perfectly well and is cheaper. Just wash out well with plenty of hot water and there will be no taste or smell.

Tiggy, a Milton tablet would probably do the trick. They are used for baby bottles, so I doubt there would be a residual taste.