RIEDEL Bottle Cleaner

I purchased these to help with some glass vases that have small necks and big bottoms.QUALITY: Yes absolutely! They come in this black little tub with a screw top, the balls are very small and yes easy to spill if your not paying attention. Each one has a little bit of a weight to it, so keep that in mind.USE: I put a bit of water and vinegar into the vase first, then roll them slowly down the neck so that they don't just drop plunk to the bottom of the glassware. Be mindful that your using metal inside of glass, so go easy. The water vinegar combo keeps the balls swirling in motion without jumping around side to side. Just slowly build up a good swirl motion to get the beads started and your doing great! Once I have a good swirl going I will tilt the vase a bit so the balls climb higher without ever slamming into the side of the glass. I havn't broken anything yet!WHATS IT FOR: Well I have cleared rust stains off glass, and hard water stains. Soap buildup and flower food residue.HINTS: Yes buy one of those mesh strainers Winco MS3A-8D Strainer with Double Fine Mesh, 8-Inch Diameter Like this one so that you can slowly pour the balls back out of your glassware and not risk losing any. Rinse with some water and then I paper-towel dry them and put them away. I had a spill once before I bought a strainer, so it is a good investment.-----> It is a good buy for those glass items that refuse to come clean or are hard to reach into. <-----

I'd never seen anything these before. Given the reputation of Riedel, the likelihood of this product working was high. In the end, this is a surprisingly effective way to clean hard to reach glassware & crystal. As a person with large hands, this is especially beneficial for me. So for small necked carafes, decanters, IPA glasses, etc. this is very helpful. Given the cost @ ~10$, your risk is low. I highly recommend these! I would definitely buy them again.Footnote: Get a SS sink drain screen that prevents these balls from going down your drain. Use this screen primarily to prevent getting one in your disposal. Additionally, these screens will be useful to clean, rinse, & dry the balls. I normally use my screen to make my cold brew. It filters out most coffee grinds as I rinse out my cold brew equipment. That is, helps minimize coffee grinds from going into my plumbing. It does the same for my Riedel SS cleaning balls.

My antique crystal decanters from both sides of the family have ancient stains, not color from red wine, but cloudiness at the bottom from mineral deposits from the water in which they were washed over the years and most likely put away still damp inside. For best use, and to maintain control of the small beads, have ready: a small mesh strainer, a plastic kitchen funnel with a medium-sized opening, a 2-cup plastic measuring cup, paper towels, a small deep dish, like a small plastic mixing bowl. Before starting, just to be safe, put a small bit of warm water or white vinegar in the bottom of the decanter (this will keep the steel beads from bouncing against the crystal, possibly cracking the glass as others have reported, when funneling the beads into the decanter). The product comes with a pull out lid once you've unscrewed the cap. Gently pull off the lid. Put the mesh strainer over the measuring cup and gently pour the beads from the container into the strainer. Put the funnel in the neck of your decanter, and gently pour the beads from the strainer into the decanter. Fill the decanter about half way (per the included instructions; I used a 50-50 water/vinegar solution) but others have reported warm water alone worked for them. For two minutes, vigorously swish the beads (this does seem like it is taking forever). Place the strainer over the measuring cup, and pour the water/vinegar mixture with the beads from the decanter back into the measuring cup. Rinse the decanter well in warm water and stand up at a high angle in a drain board or use a decanter drying stand. Best to let the decanter sit this way overnight, as putting the stopper back in prematurely will cause condensation on the inside, thus creating mineral deposits again. I was surprised to see that the wells of my decanters cleaned up really beautifully --- I had not stopped to think that there had to be some slight mineral residue from washing that occurs not just on the bottom, which takes most of the abuse, but along the entire inside of the decanter. Unfortunately, the mineral deposit stains on the bottoms of my antique decanters are just too old to remove completely, but I did achieve about a 60% clean up on the bottom. With the beads in the strainer, gently rinse under hot water. Pat as much water as possible with a paper towel while the beads are still in the strainer. Then use the funnel to transfer the beads into the small deep dish. Dry the beads more thoroughly by hugging them in clumps with your fingers using a paper towel . Let the beads sit out (out of reach of kids or busy areas) for a few hours, then transfer back to the original container. The procedure may seem a bit onerous, but using the funnel/strainer approach alleviates the problem of beads bouncing around and down the sink. :)

it works as product description

I am using this for my wine decanter and metal water bottles. Only have one problem with this. The case is very flimsy and packaging was not very strong, or adequate. Many beads escaped the container and were loose when I opened the box. And the box I received it in was not very sturdy. some beads actually fell out while I prepared to open the box. Therefore, I have no idea how many beads were lost in shipping! I think I have enough to do the jobs I purchased them for, so it's okay, I guess. But, kind of cheesy, right?