[Goosegirl]

I have a lovely crystal rose bowl with a silver-coated segmented wire top, but a lot of the silver has come off and it's gone rusty. The glass seems to have taken a slight  brown colour which I can't remove by ordinary washing. Anyone know how to get rid of this problem? Also I have a very slim glass vase where the centre part is only about an inch wide. What's the best way to get it clean inside?

[mrs bouquet]

How about Soda Crystals, would they clean it, if you left them to soak.   Maybe gently (with a sponge) applying lemon juice, or baking powder mix.    For the narrow vase, I have a set of narrow pointy little brushes, they are circular and on wire, and they taper down to a point at the bottom end.    They are for my narrow vases, teapot spouts and things like that.
Sometimes I use dishwasher liquid soap, that's pretty handy.     Good luck,   Mrs Bouquet

[DanielCoffey]

Providing you remove all metal accessories, I think rust on glass can be removed with oxalic acid.

I do have a guide for cleaning iron salts out of my old fountain pens using powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin c - not the tablet dissolvable ones, the actual powder) at 1/3tsp per 50ml warm water, soak for 10 min intervals up to 30 mins.

[mumofstig]

I was going to suggest a soak in water to which you've added some of that cheap lemon juice for cooking, in bottles from the supermarket. I use it to clean y kettle.
I don't know what you can do with the rusty metal, short of painting over the rusty bits with 'silver' paint, but the lemon/water should clean the glass.

[8doubles]

White vinegar is a good rust and scale remover , anything that vinegar does not work with i use an overnight soak in hot water with bio washing powder .

Vinegar or bio powder will shift most things short of using solvents.

[mrs bouquet]

Thinking about your rose bowl. I have a small pot of Humbol silver paint which I use in my craft work, it is waterproof.   If you give the holder a light rub with fine wire wool, then paint it might do the trick.
Failing that, another idea, maybe !.    When the bowl is lovely and shiny clean, dont' use the holder in it, just enjoy the beauty of the crystal, when you want to use it, you could scrunch up small galvanised chicken (or goose  ) wire and pop it inside for your arrangement.  Also, sometimes I use bits of scrunched up silver foil for arrangements in transparent containers.   Mrs Bouquet   PS:   Another thought, when not in rose use, you could put some pretty glass stones in it.