How To Dry a Wine Decanter?
How To Dry a Wine Decanter?
There’s a variety of methods and products you can use to dry your decanter. The methods can vary for many decanters due to the wide variety of the different shapes and sizes they come in. It’s important to keep in mind that decanters can be very fragile, so always make use of delicate products for any kind of cleaning purposes.
Products that work great are:
- drying stands
- microfiber brushes and cloths
- cheesecloths
- even paper towels
This should help if you’re not in the market to purchase yet another product to satisfy the wine enthusiast in you! Considering your fingers can leave prints on the decanter’s glass, there are such things as ‘magnetic wine decanter drying devices.’ However, if your decanter is cloudy, white vinegar and baking soda will work great to get your decanter sparkling.
How do you get moisture out of a decanter?
Moisture in your glassware can lead to mold growth. It’s bad for your health and can even be traced to causing allergy symptoms. An important thing to note about moisture is that warm air, in general, will hold more moisture than cold air. If you’re looking to reduce moisture in your decanter, you can take one of two steps to ensure a dry decanter. Although there are many special tools and products you can use to clean your decanter, these steps only include household items.
- After washing your decanter, you can use paper towels to dry the inside. If it’s hard to reach, you can simply shove a few paper towels down into the decanter and use tongs or any other kitchen utensil to twist the paper towels. This will absorb any extra water left inside the decanter that might provide unwanted moisture. Use utensils to extract the paper towel.
- After drying out the inside of the decanter, it should then be stored in a cool area in your kitchen, such as a pantry, a bar, a wine cellar, or wherever you tend to keep your alcoholic beverages. As noted before, cool areas tend to hold less moisture than warmer areas. This step will help you keep a dry decanter.
Does a decanter need to be dry before you use it?
Yes, your decanter should indeed be dry before you use it – but why? If the decanter is not dried properly – or at all – before usage, it can impact not only the appearance of the glassware. In addition, the wine itself can be compromised when it’s poured into the decanter.
A decanter that’s not cleaned and dried will begin to develop unpleasant stains. If these stains occur, the decanter is likely holding residue particles and build up. Elements like these will ruin your wine, changing taste and aroma. If you’re not confident in your capabilities of cleaning the decanter due to the shape and size, we recommend finding one that’s easier to clean and care for. Because although decanting wine is a special practice – it won’t be worth it if your glassware can’t be cleaned and dried.
Does a decanter need to be dry after you use it?
Yes, it’s just as important to make sure that the decanter is cleaned and dried after usage then it is before usage. If your decanter isn’t washed and dried after usage, your glassware will be even more at risk for water spots. Water spots may sound harmless, but they can actually completely ruin your decanter if left wet. Water spots cause calcium buildup or/and ‘white scales’ on glassware. These spots can create imperfections leading to a replacement decanter being needed.
The more you take care of things like these, the less you’ll have to replace them. However, if you are washing and drying your decanter and these water spots still appear, it’s caused by two things. One, you’re not drying your decanter thoroughly. Two, the water you’re using is hard. Hard water is water that has a high mineral content. Not only can it ruin your glassware, but it can also damage other things like your hair and your skin.
Summary
There are various products and tools you can use to dry your decanter. However, if you want to stick with household products, microfiber cloths or paper towels will do the trick. You can keep moisture out of your decanter by storing the glassware in a cool, dry place after you’ve dried out all the water droplets from the inside of the vessel. A decanter should always be cleaned and dried before and after using the decanter.
