After Diwali: How to Clean and Store Candle Holders, Urlis, Glassware and Festive Decor

To clean and store decor after Diwali, start with wax removal, wash glass by hand in warm soapy water, polish metal gently with a soft cloth, let everything dry completely, then wrap each piece and pack it upright in a labelled box. Done in one calm weekend, this keeps your candle holders, urlis and glassware looking new for next year and saves the panic of finding cloudy glass and green brass in October.

Start with a sort, not a scrub

Before you wash anything, gather all your festive pieces on one table and split them into three groups.

• Stays out: Pieces that look good all year, like a candle holder on the console or a jar on the kitchen shelf.
• Goes into storage: Urlis, tealight rings, extra glassware and festive-only items.
• Needs repair or replacement: Chipped glass, broken LED tealights, cracked holders. Deal with these now rather than discovering them next year.

Removing candle wax without scratching

Wax is the most common post-Diwali mess, and the most common mistake is scraping it with a knife.

• Freeze it first: Put small glass holders and tealight cups in the freezer for an hour. The wax shrinks and usually pops out in one piece.
• Use warm water for large pieces: For holders too big for the freezer, pour hot (not boiling) water into the glass section, let the wax soften, then wipe it out with a paper towel.
• Finish with a soft cloth: Any thin film left behind comes off with a little dish soap and a microfibre cloth.

For a piece like the Gold Hammered Vintage Candle Holder, Large (about ₹4,450), lift the clear glass shade off and clean it separately from the hammered base. Wash the glass in soapy water, and only wipe the metal base with a dry or barely damp cloth so water does not sit in the hammered texture. The same approach works for hurricane-style holders such as the Regal Pedestal Hurricane Candle Holder, Large, about ₹3,450.

Caring for brass and hammered urlis

Urlis do heavy work during Diwali: water, petals, floating candles and sometimes turmeric or kumkum. Empty them the same week, because water left standing marks metal.

• Solid brass: The Traditional Elephant Brass Urli, 8 Inches (about ₹3,800) is made of brass. Wash with mild soap and water, dry immediately, then polish with a soft cloth. For dull patches, many homes use a paste of lemon juice and salt or tamarind; test on the underside first and rinse well afterwards.
• Finished metal: The Set of 2, Hammered Urli Set, Gold (about ₹3,500) has a hammered gold finish. Skip scrubbers, lemon and polish on finished surfaces. Warm water, a drop of soap, a soft sponge and a thorough dry are enough. The set comes in a gift box, so keep that box for storage.
• Waterless urlis: A ring-style piece like the GILDED WREATH CENTERPIECE - TEALIGHT RING URLI (about ₹3,200) needs no water. Shake out dried petals, use a soft brush in the woven texture, and wipe tealight perches clean of wax.

If you plan to keep an urli out through the year, our guide on how to decorate an urli has placement ideas that work beyond the festival.

Washing festive glassware

Glasses used for mocktails, sharbat and sweet drinks often get left on a tray overnight. Sugar residue dries into a haze that is hard to remove later.

• Hand wash coloured and stemmed glass: Pieces like the Fluted Petal Goblet Glass, Amber, set of 6 (about ₹3,950) should be washed one at a time in warm soapy water, holding the bowl, not the stem.
• Remove cloudiness with vinegar: Soak hazy glasses in warm water with a little white vinegar for 15 minutes, then rinse.
• Air dry upside down, then polish: Dry on a clean towel, then buff with a lint-free cloth so no water spots set.

Browse glassware if you need to replace a broken glass and want the set to match.

Storing LED tealights and small lights

• Remove or isolate batteries: Batteries left in for months can leak. Take them out of sets like the LED Tealights Set of 12 Battery Included (about ₹1,850), or at least switch every unit off.
• Keep them together: Store all twelve in one small box or zip pouch so you are not hunting for stray tealights next year.
• Test before packing: Note which ones need a battery change on a slip of paper inside the box.

Packing decor so it survives a year

• Dry completely first: Leave washed pieces out overnight. Trapped moisture causes marks on metal and musty smells in boxes.
• Wrap each piece separately: Use old cotton cloth, newspaper for the outer layer, or bubble wrap. Never stack glass directly on glass.
• Store glass upright: Pack glasses and hurricane shades upright, not on their rims.
• Keep small parts in jars: Spare tealights, wicks and hooks fit neatly in a clear jar such as the Large Glass Jar with Crystal Airtight Lid, Clear (about ₹1,250), which you can see into without opening.
• Label the box: Write what is inside and which room it was used in. Next year's setup becomes much faster.
• Choose a dry shelf: Avoid lofts above bathrooms or near the kitchen, where humidity and grease build up.

If you are planning to add to your collection, the candle holders collection is a good place to see what pairs with what you already own.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove wax from a glass candle holder? Put it in the freezer for about an hour so the wax shrinks and lifts out, then wash off any film with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.

How do I clean a brass urli after Diwali? Wash with mild soap, dry straight away and polish with a soft cloth. For dull patches, a lemon and salt or tamarind paste works on solid brass; test on the underside first and rinse well.

Can I use lemon or polish on a gold-finished urli? It is safer not to. Finished surfaces can mark with acids and abrasives, so stick to warm water, mild soap, a soft sponge and a thorough dry.

Why do my festive glasses look cloudy? Usually dried sugar or hard water. Soak them in warm water with a little white vinegar for 15 minutes, rinse and polish dry with a lint-free cloth.

Should I remove batteries from LED tealights before storing? Yes. Batteries left inside for months can leak and damage the unit, so take them out or at least switch every tealight off.