This Pantry Staple Will Get Your Wine Glasses Streak-Free Every Time

Have you ever washed your glassware found that it still has streaky residue no matter what you try? Instead of buying yet another expensive cleaning product, your solution is hiding out in your pantry: Vinegar might just be the key to a streak-free wine glass.

This tip comes from cleaning columnist Lauren Viera, who decided to test out whether or not vinegar can help get rid of stains and streaks on wine glasses. Vinegar is an effective clean agent because it’s acidic and therefore helps break down any extra tricky compounds that may be sticking to your dishes.

After experimenting with varying amounts of water, soap, and white distilled vinegar, Viera found that hand-washing her glassware in a mixture that was half-warm water and half-vinegar before letting everything soak for 15 minutes led to the best-looking glasses after drying. If your dishes are particularly dirty, she suggests increasing the ratio of vinegar to water or letting the glasses soak for a longer period of time. Additionally, some have also found success with washing dishes in soapy water first then rinsing them in a water-and-vinegar mixture before drying.

Still noticing a few streaks on your glasses even after a vinegar rinse? This may be due to the number of other glass-cleaning products you’ve used in the past, which could leave a long-lasting filmy residue. To get rid of those stains once and for all, wash your glass dishes in a mixture that combines one-part rubbing alcohol with 20 parts of water. After you’ve rinsed the glasses, try your vinegar regimen again and you’ll say goodbye to those streaks.

Vinegar is also great for cleaning windows and mirrors, so talk about a product that really gets some mileage. (Just make sure you don’t clean wood or stone surfaces with it!)