Cleaning expert shares 'genius' tip to clean hard-to-reach spaces in vases: 'It worked like magic'

Have you ever had a container that you just didn't know how to clean? This surprising hack will help you get even your trickiest vase spotless.

The scoop

Nancy Birtwhistle (@nancy.birtwhistle) is an author, home cleaning expert, and winner of the Great British Bake Off. These days, she uses her platform to help people keep their homes tidy while on a budget — and in an eco-friendly way. She's shared tips for everything from reviving old towels to making breadcrumbs from stale bread. 

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In one clip shared to Instagram, she showed followers how to clean a vase that has some hard-to-reach spaces. 

In the video, she shows a cute little vase with a tapered top and wide bottom. "This is my favorite vase…when the neck is as narrow as this, how do I clean this?" 

She goes on to give a simple but unexpected recipe for the best way to clean this vase, which one commenter described as "Genius!" 

Starting with a funnel for accuracy, she adds two tablespoons of baking soda, two tablespoons of uncooked rice, and six to eight tablespoons of warm water. She then gives the whole thing a good shake before letting the cleaning solution sit for around 30 minutes. After a rinse, she reveals a sparkling clean vase ready for new flowers. 

How it's working

Tips like this save you time and money using things you likely already have around the house. Baking soda is a versatile and cheap ingredient that you can use in cooking, cleaning, and more. It is an effective cleaner thanks to having a low pH and being slightly abrasive, writes Live Science. 

Rice is likely not going to become a big part of your cleaning routine, but using it to break up residue build-up is a smart way to get to those hard-to-reach places. There are a few companies selling a product that mimics this result, with cleaning beads, but just using rice is getting the benefit virtually free. 

Using on-hand products instead of buying expensive and harsh chemical cleaners can save you close to $100 a year — learn more from our guide. 

What people are saying

Commenters always love Nancy's tips, and this one is no different. 

One person said, "I tried this last week and it worked like magic."

Someone else wrote, "Perfect timing. I need to clean out my hummingbird feeders. Great idea."

A third commenter pointed out, "You truly do have an answer for everything! Thank you!"

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