Why You Should Head To The Liquor Cabinet For Streak-Free Glass

It's safe to say that washing dishes is no one's idea of an exciting task. Truth be told, most of us just want to get it over with and relax in front of the television with a nice bottle of wine and some chocolate. That's why finding water streaks on glassware after a thorough wash can be frustrating. What's the point of a good cleaning if the glass won't even look the part? What you probably don't know is that there is a secret to perfectly washing your wine glasses until they are streak-free, and you only have to open up your liquor cabinet for the answer.

Finding streaks on glass is a very common occurrence after doing the dishes. When glass comes in contact with water, particularly hard water, the minerals in the water stay on the glass after the liquid evaporates, leaving behind residue. These streaks actually end up on your other dishes, too, but because glass is usually transparent, it's a lot more conspicuous to the eye. Nevertheless, streaked glass is unattractive, so to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of your dinner guests, try this hack that will only cost you a few drops from your forbidden cupboard.

If you're using tap water to wash your dishes, the chances of your glassware getting streaked are very high due to its varying mineral concentration. In order to avoid this, head on over to your alcohol arsenal and grab that bottle of vodka you've been saving for game night with the squad. Vodka can do more than make you dizzy; it has the ability to dissolve the grime on the glass and leave it streak-free. This is because vodka is largely alcohol or ethanol, which is an excellent solvent. 

To clean your glass with vodka, Angi recommends mixing one part of vodka with an equal amount of water and then adding a drop of dish soap. Pour this into a spray bottle and saturate your glass with it before wiping it down. An alternative recipe from Taste of Home calls for one cup of vodka to be mixed with a cup of water and ¼ of a teaspoon of baking soda instead. If you want to go the extra mile, use a microfiber cloth to clean off the vodka solution to avoid leaving behind lint and other particles.

Either one of these solutions will get you the clean and clear glasses you deserve after a productive hour at the kitchen sink.