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The large wine glass brush might be a little big for small and average size wine glasses, so we tend to use the narrower brush for most of our glassware; the large brush is good for those big, wide-mouthed, Pinot glasses. There is also a longer, thinner, flexible brush specifically for cleaning decanters, but we'll get to that shortly. After removing any stains with the brush, rinse your glass thoroughly with hot water. Now it is time for item number three- Microfiber Drying Towels. 

decanter will sparkle and should be spot and streak free!  

done, it folds up flat for easy storage (see pic). Now you're ready to pour some more!

You can re-use these dryers again and again.  

Let your glasses soak in the sink/hot water solution for a few minutes, and then it is time to use these Cleaning Brushes made specifically for wine glasses, champagne flutes, and wine decanters. They sell them individually as well as in sets of various sizes. Use these to help remove any stubborn wine and/or lipstick stains on your glasses. Take a glass from the water and inspect it for any stains, and then carefully use the appropriate sized brush to lightly scrub the stains away.

FEATURED SPOTLIGHT

The towels measure 15" x 15".

Getting back to cleaning a decanter- these can be a little tricky, especially those decanters that have a thin neck. We recommend rinsing the decanter with  

TIME TO SHINE!!!

Here are the products and the technique that we use:

One last product that is optional, but certainly worth mentioning, is this handy, large folding Decanter and Wine Glass Drying Rack. It is a great accessory to place your glasses (up to sixteen) and decanter in, prior to towel drying. Set it up on your countertop; place your glassware in it, and let the excess water drip off. Then take to your microfiber towel to finish the job. When you are

First we recommend getting a bottle of Wine Enthusiast's Stem Shine.

This is a glass washing liquid that not only prevents spots and streaking, but its cleaning agents go into the pores of the glassware and remove traces of soil and contaminants. It contains no perfumes, fragrances, or dyes, so there is nothing to compete with the bouquet of your wines. While some have stated that they put a few drops directly into the dirty glass and then rinse it, we tend to clean multiple glasses at a time, so we like to add about an ounce (maybe even less) to the hot-water-filled kitchen sink.  

hot water, shortly after you are done using it.

This is one spotlight where you actually don't want a spot! If you're like us, you probably have reservations about washing your wine glasses in the dishwasher. They always manage to still come out with some water spots and/or detergent residue, and are also prone to breaking. Not only that, but they take up a lot of room!  All that said, we opt to hand wash our glasses in the sink, with some help from some great cleaning products that we picked up from Wine Enthusiast. This month's spotlight is on those particular cleaning products- it's time to shine!

These towels are going to be your new best friend!  Use them to dry and buff your glassware to an amazing finish, without leaving any lint behind. We like to use the smaller cleaning brush to assist the towel to dry the inside of the glass. The towels come four to a package; are very reasonably priced; and are even machine washable. They have a great lifespan too- we've been using the same one for quite some time, and it is showing very little wear.  

This will help remove any residual wine (wait, what's that?!) before it sets and results in a stain. When you are ready to wash the decanter, place it on its side into your hot water solution, letting the water fill it up as much as possible. If it is really dirty, you might want to first put a couple of drops of the aforementioned Stem Shine into the decanter.

Let it soak for a few minutes, and then remove it from the water and empty it out. It is now time to use your decanter cleaning brush to access any remaining stains. Once you've done that, give the decanter a nice, hot water rinse. Fill it about halfway up and give the decanter a little bit of a swirl to make sure the entire interior gets a good rinse. Dump out the remaining water, and repeat if necessary. If you have a decanter drying stand, place your decanter in it for five minutes or so to let the excess water drain out, or you can always place it upside-down in your dishwasher to achieve the same result. Now it's time to use your microfiber towel to dry the entire exterior.

For drying the interior, we recommend one last product- these Wine Decanter Dryers. They come in packs of two, but only one is needed. They are about 9" long, and you place it inside your decanter and let it hang down to the bottom (see picture). There are crystals inside of this muslin sleeve, which absorb moisture; usually within a few hours. Soon you'll notice that the residual moisture, and the clouding/condensation that resulted, will have completely dissipated. Your