Step by step: how to properly clean wine glasses

Guests come to eat at your place and bring a bottle of good wine. While they find out, you go looking for the glasses. Although they have been washed, they are not clean: they have stains. Drops of water that didn’t dry well, fluff from the fabric that stuck, a remnant of carmenère that remained at the bottom. The discomfort of starting to wash the glasses while everyone is waiting for you to make the toast.

This can happen to anyone, especially if the cleaning you did was quick or without much attention. But clean glasses are essential for enjoying wine well, especially if it is a special wine: an impeccable container is crucial to preserve the flavor and aroma, whether it is a Sauvignon Blanc refreshing or an intense Cabernet Sauvignon.

To ensure your glass is impeccable every time a great wine arrives at your table, it is best to wash it immediately after using it.

“The ideal would be to wash it or look for a new one every time you change the variety of wine,” we explain in The Spruce, a media specializing in cleaning. If you store them on shelves, display cases or racks, it is always best to wipe them with a clean cloth before using them, to remove any dust and contamination they may accumulate.

Now how to clean them properly?

Those who own a dishwasher will of course prefer to take advantage of its advantages, but for many experts the best way to clean a wine glass is by hand. And although it takes some work, it’s not that difficult.

Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need.

• Mild dishwashing detergent
• A stemware cleaning brush or soft sponge
• Microfiber cloths and paper towels

The first thing to do is to rinse the wine glasses with warm (not boiling) water, mainly to remove any wine residue. The key is to do this immediately after using them, as leftover wine can dry out and stick to the bottom, making it much more difficult to remove.

Add a small amount of dish soap, ideally mild and non-corrosive, to your cleaning brush or sponge. Avoid detergents with strong aromas, as they can remain in the glass and later affect the taste experience.

When foam forms on the sponge, gently wash the inside and outside of the glasses, using gentle circular movements, to prevent them from breaking.

If the glasses are very dirty, you can do a wash of detergent in a deep container and immerse the glasses in it for about thirty seconds. It will then be easier to remove the dirt with the sponge or brush.

Which detergent to choose? We already know that the idea is to be as neutral as possible. In my case, the ones that worked for me are the green apple dishwasher from Casa Nativa and the Dawn Platinum , in spray form. The latter is wonderful, since you can apply it directly to the stains: when you trigger the sprayer, foam appears. The scent it leaves on the glass is subtle, just like that of Casa Nativa.

For other alternatives, you can consult our guide to the most efficient dishwashers on the market.

Next comes rinsing the glasses, always with lukewarm water (intense heat can alter the material, and if it is very cold it will not remove all the dirt) and will therefore eliminate all the detergent. Make sure there are no traces left from the dishwasher, otherwise it may affect the flavor and aroma of the wine.

Did you rinse and there are still wine stains? Don’t worry, they won’t stay there forever. To get them out, you can repeat step two and try to get them out again. But if the marks are very stubborn, you can remove them using white vinegar, as recommended in Masterclass .

To do this, dilute one part vinegar with another part water and let the glass soak for a few minutes in this mixture. Then clean again using a brush or sponge with detergent and rinse.

Choosing which brush and sponge to use is a matter of personal taste. The combination that allowed me to clean the glasses well is the sponge Mom Scrub . Its main advantage lies in its grip design: since it allows you to put your fingers in its “eyes”, it is easier to reach difficult places, especially when the cups are large and deep. Plus, it lasts a long time.

As for the brushes, I bought a few months ago a game in Casaideas, which, in addition to cleaning, did not cause scratches on the glass. Its bristles are stiff, but not hard enough to leave marks. Additionally, being a narrow brush, it is also perfect for washing bottles and carafes.

Always use clean, lint-free cloths, such as microfiber, to dry your glasses. Otherwise, even if they are clean, they will look dirty and snowy. When drying, avoid twisting the stem, the part between the base and the container, as this will eventually break them. Also try leaving the glasses inverted so they dry completely before storing them.

You can leave them on paper towels or dish towels, so they absorb moisture during the hours you let them dry. If any drips remain, you can dry them using a paper towel or microfiber cloth, so that no lint remains.

Before washing glasses in the dishwasher, we encourage you to carefully observe your machine, as some offer gentler wash cycles suitable for wine glasses. If they don’t have it, pay attention to the following steps.

Always make sure to secure the glasses correctly, upside down, in the top compartment of the dishwasher. The idea is that they have a margin of 1.5 cm between them, so that they do not collide during washing and you do not risk breaking them.

Each time you use a dishwasher, choose gentle washing programs so as not to damage the glassware. Do not expose your glasses to more aggressive cycles, as this is likely to cause breakage.

As for laundry, on the site Wire cutter , of New York Times, say that detergents containing enzymes, whether powder, liquid, or gel capsules, tend to clean surfaces that have food stains stuck to them better. The idea is that it is as neutral as possible in terms of odor, and in terms of water temperature, the idea is to always prefer lukewarm, because if it is very hot it can cause it to break or the explosion of glass.

Once the dishwasher cycle is complete, carefully inspect each glass. If you notice any stains or residue, it is best to hand wash following the instructions above.

A suggestion that Masterclass is that glasses, whether you wash them in the machine or by hand, should always be air dried. If you turn on drying in the dishwasher, high temperatures can cause wine glasses to become cloudy and opaque.

• To remove stains : the Mexican tiktoker Pamela Casanova offers you the following tip: in a bowl add boiling water up to 70% and a tablespoon of white vinegar. Hold the stained glass window under this steam — but don’t immerse it! — and remove stains by rubbing the surface with a microfiber cloth.
• To make them shine: This is another recommendation that comes from a Spanish TikTok . To ensure that your glass glasses do not lose their shine, it is suggested to wash them in a bowl filled with lukewarm water, a little dish detergent and a little white vinegar. Dip the glass in this lavaza and scrub it actively using a sponge. If you’re using a dishwasher, the tiktoker suggests incorporating a cup of vinegar when you schedule the wash.
• The Riedel drying technique: In a YouTube video, Austrian glassmaker and businessman Maximilian Riedel, CEO of the famous Riedel glassworks, shares the secret to properly drying a glass. You need two lint-free microfiber cloths that you only use to polish your glasses and a kettle filled with boiling water. First, take the two cloths, one in each hand, wrap the bottom of the glass and rub gently. Then continue to polish the glass stem. With one of your two hands, still covered by the fabric, grasp the glass by its body, leaving your palm as the base. With the other hand, and using the other cloth, polish the entire surface. Without force and always with delicacy. Then place the glass over the steam coming out of the teapot and wipe it again until no steam remains inside. This way, in addition to being dry, it will be shiny.