Fresh-cut flowers are one of the simplest ways to bring beauty and life into your home, but their charm often fades all too quickly. Now, a popular cleaning and lifestyle influencer has revealed a clever and natural method to keep those blooms looking fresh for much longer, using just two common kitchen ingredients.
Chantel Mila, better known as Mama Mila on TikTok, has captivated her followers with a viral tip for extending the life of store-bought flowers. Her secret is a mix of white vinegar and sugar added to vase water, which she claims can keep flowers “fresh for weeks.”
In a recent video, Chantel demonstrates the easy trick. After filling a vase with water, she adds one tablespoon of sugar and two tablespoons of white vinegar.
The sugar feeds the flowers, while the vinegar combats the bacteria that typically cause blooms to wilt prematurely.
“If you want your flowers to last longer without using chemicals, this is a simple and effective hack,” she says in the video, which has garnered thousands of views and likes.
Chantel also recommends trimming the flower stems at a 45-degree angle underwater before placing them in the treated vase. This technique helps prevent air from entering the stems, allowing for better water absorption.
Experts agree that the science stacks up. According to Gardening Know How, the vinegar lowers the water’s pH and creates an acidic environment, which discourages bacterial growth, one of the main culprits behind fading flowers.
But vinegar alone won’t cut it. That’s where sugar plays a vital role.
As Teleflora explains, sugar mimics the nutrients that flowers would usually receive through photosynthesis. When dissolved in water, it helps provide ongoing nourishment.
However, sugar also encourages bacterial growth if used on its own, which is why combining it with vinegar is key to keeping the vase water clean and the flowers fresh.
For best results, experts suggest 2 tablespoons each of vinegar and sugar for every one-quart (roughly 950ml) of water.
With this easy DIY floral preservation hack, your favourite blooms might just stay vibrant and fragrant long after the bouquet was first arranged.