How to Clean the Inside of a Crystal Decanter
With their typical slender necks and wide bowls, crystal decanters gently aerate fine wines, enhancing aroma and flavor and allowing sediment to settle. Their shape also means that they can be tough to clean. Insert the reality wines may leave deposits on the inside and you may shy away from using those serving pieces.
Tips and Techniques
Cleaning beads, very similar to miniature metallic ball bearings, are a one-time investment you rinse clean and reuse. Gently pour in the beams, add water, then gently swirl the beams around inside the decanter. As they swish from the crystal, the beads clean off deposits and film. For harder deposits, then let white vinegar sit at the decanter to get a few minutes to a couple hours, then swish the beads. As an alternative to cleaning beads, use uncooked rice grains. Decanter cleaning brushes are made out of long, flexible handles that reach the recesses of their bowl. Sometimes tipped with bristles and occasionally with sponge fingers, they help scrub a long-necked decanter from top to bottom. When you have hard water, then make the last rinse with lukewarm water to prevent spotting. Dry the decanter upside-down, supported by means of a rack to prevent breaking and rolling.