How to Clean and Maintain Your Vases: Care and Upkeep Tips

House Doctor Buck green glass vase styled with pink hydrangeas

A vase is one of those pieces that quietly does a lot of work in a home. It holds your flowers, it anchors a shelf, it’s often the first thing people notice on a console table. But it’s also one of the most neglected pieces when it comes to care. Most of us give a vase a rinse when it starts to smell and leave it at that.

At North Home, our founder Kamil spends his time sourcing vases and decor pieces from brands like HKLIVING, House Doctor and Seletti, so he’s handled more materials, finishes and glazes than most. Here’s what actually matters when it comes to keeping your vases clean, undamaged, and looking their best.

Start by identifying what your vase is actually made of

Cleaning advice isn’t one-size-fits-all, because vases come in a genuinely wide range of materials: glass, glazed ceramic, unglazed ceramic, stoneware, terracotta and metal. Before you clean anything, it’s worth knowing which one you’re dealing with, because the wrong method on the wrong material is how vases get damaged or ruined.

Glass vases — and the mistake that’s easy to make

Not all glass vases are the same, and this trips people up more than you’d think. A coloured glass vase can be one of two things: glass that’s coloured all the way through, or clear glass that’s had colour applied afterwards (painted or coated on the surface).

House Doctor Cuff off-white glass vase with dark foliage on a terrazzo surface — A handmade glass vase, like the Cuff from House Doctor, earns its keep on a console or side table — but knowing what it's made of matters before you clean it.

Kamil learned this one the hard way. As a teenager, he put what he thought was a coloured glass vase in the dishwasher. It came out completely clear. The vase hadn’t been made from coloured glass at all — it had essentially been painted, and the dishwasher stripped the colour straight off.

The good news is it’s usually easy to tell the difference if you look for it. Coloured-through glass tends to look consistent and slightly translucent when held up to the light, with colour visible in the thickness of the glass itself. Painted or coated glass often looks more opaque or uniform on the surface, sometimes with a slightly different texture, and the colour won’t extend into the glass itself. If you’re not sure, hand wash rather than risk it in the dishwasher.

Clear glass vases are generally safe and easy to clean, dishwasher or by hand.

Glazed ceramic and stoneware

Fully glazed pieces (a smooth, shiny or matte sealed finish) are non-porous, so they clean up easily with warm soapy water. Most can go in the dishwasher, though handmade or hand-glazed pieces are safer washed by hand to protect any texture, colour variation or decorative detail.

Brown stoneware vases styled with colourful flowers on a windowsill — Glazed stoneware, like this piece from Madam Stoltz, is non-porous and forgiving — a soapy wash is usually all it needs.

Unglazed ceramic and terracotta — the material that needs the most care

This is the one people most often get wrong. Unglazed ceramic and terracotta are porous, which means they absorb water rather than just holding it. Left with water sitting inside for long periods, they can develop damp patches, staining, or slowly weaken.

If you’re putting fresh flowers directly into an unglazed or terracotta vase, use a liner. This can be a proper glass insert, or as simple as a smaller glass or jar lowered inside the vase for the flowers and water to actually sit in. It’s also worth putting something underneath the vase itself — a coaster, mat or tray — so if any moisture does get through, it doesn’t damage your windowsill or table underneath.

Metal vases

Wipe clean with a soft, slightly damp cloth rather than soaking. Standing water left in a metal vase for long periods can encourage tarnishing or, on untreated metals, rust. Dry thoroughly after cleaning and after use with fresh flowers.

For cloudy, stained or smelly vases

Everyday dust and light residue just needs warm water and washing-up liquid. For the tougher stuff — cloudy mineral deposits from hard water, dried-on floral residue, or that musty smell that builds up in the neck of a vase — a few tried-and-tested methods work well:

Vinegar and baking soda soak. Fill the vase with white vinegar to cover the stains, add two to three tablespoons of baking soda (it will fizz), and leave for a few hours or overnight for tough marks. Swirl, then rinse thoroughly with warm water. This combination also helps neutralise smells.
Rice or lentil scrub. For narrow-necked vases where a brush or hand won’t reach, add a handful of uncooked rice or lentils along with warm water and a splash of vinegar or a little washing-up liquid. Swirl and shake — the grains act as a gentle abrasive to loosen residue from the inside.
Salt and vinegar paste. Mix a tablespoon of table salt with a tablespoon of white vinegar into a paste, apply to areas with residue, leave for 30 minutes, then scrub gently with a cloth or bottle brush.
Denture tablets. Fill the vase with water, drop in one or two tablets depending on size, and leave overnight. Stir before pouring out and rinsing.
Persistent odours. A solution of one part bleach to ten parts water, left to sit for around 30 minutes then rinsed thoroughly, will deal with stubborn smells. Use with care on decorative or hand-finished pieces, and always rinse well.

Keeping cut flowers and plants fresher, especially in warm weather

With the recent run of warm weather, and more heat still forecast, this matters more than usual. Warm temperatures speed up bacterial growth in vase water, which is exactly what turns water green or murky and shortens the life of your flowers.

Top up water levels regularly rather than letting them drop, and change the water fully every couple of days rather than waiting until it looks obviously cloudy. In hot spells, cut flowers are drinking more and the water is turning faster, so little and often beats leaving it until it needs a proper clean-out.

Storage, handling and getting more life out of the pieces you have

If you’re storing spare or seasonal vases, wrap them individually (tea towels, bubble wrap or tissue paper all work) rather than stacking them directly against each other, and store on a stable, low shelf where they’re not at risk of being knocked. For narrow-necked or delicate pieces, pack them upright with support around the base rather than on their side.

One thing worth trying that has nothing to do with cleaning: move your vases around. Taking a vase from a shelf it’s sat on for two years and putting it on a dining table, or swapping it with one from another room, can make an older piece feel new again. It’s a free way to refresh a space without buying anything new, and it’s a good reminder that a vase you already own can do more than one job around the house.