The Pantry Staple That Removes Pesky Stains From Your Decanter With Ease

Red wine is an elegant alcoholic beverage to serve at a gathering. The versatile drink comes in a variety of flavors. It can be dry, sweet, earthy, or chocolatey. Some may even have hints of fruits such as raspberries or cherries. However, red wine also famously stains everything it comes in contact with. The drink stains teeth, clothes, and even glassware due to its purple-red pigmentation and a chemical compound called tannins. When it comes to serving wine, whether for a party of one or a group of people, many opt to pour it into a decanter for its stylish appearance and to increase air exposure. But what do you do when you pour the last of the liquid out of the decanter and find that the wine has stained it? Thankfully, white vinegar can take care of that.

Now, decanters can accumulate stains for several reasons. First, there's using the glassware to contain dark liquids like red wine, grape juice, and cranberry juice. But there's also water build-up aka scale that can leave behind a chalky, white residue. If left untreated, these stains can permanently alter the appearance of the decanter and leave behind an off-putting smell or taste. To prevent that from occurring, use warm white vinegar to clean the glassware rather than the traditional soap and water. You can also purchase a special cleaning brush that helps reach those hard-to-clean spots of the uniquely shaped vessel.

Cleaning a stained decanter is quite simple, although it does take a significant amount of time. Therefore, it is best to get started soon after the decanter is emptied, so that it is available to be used the next time you want to use it. Whether the stains are caused by a dark liquid or water residue, to get your decanter looking brand new again, all you need is undiluted, warm white vinegar.

To warm the vinegar, place the desired amount in the microwave and turn on the appliance in short increments, or carefully heat it on a stovetop. Make sure you do not let the vinegar reach a boiling point as it may become corrosive due to its acidic nature. Once the warm white vinegar is prepared, pour the liquid into the stained decanter and leave it to soak overnight or for 8-10 hours during the day. Finally, drain the vinegar out of the glassware and clean it as usual. You should be left with a sparkling decanter that is ready to be used once again. 

Vinegar is known for its cleaning qualities and can be used for everything, from descaling electric kettles to even keeping espresso machines sparkling clean. Moreover, wine isn't the only stain the liquid can get rid of: Vinegar is a pantry staple that is known to remove common food stains such as those left by tea, mustard, and berries on clothing, surfaces, and all sorts of kitchen utensils. Though, many of those methods require the vinegar to be diluted with water, but the acidic liquid must be undiluted for the decanter hack.