How to Make Your Flowers Last

How to make your flowers last longer

Fresh flowers have a way of instantly brightening a space — but once they’re home, a lot of people worry they’ll do something wrong and watch them wilt overnight. The good news is, keeping flowers fresh is much simpler you might think!

You don’t need sugar, vodka, aspirin or any elaborate tricks. The single most important thing for long-lasting flowers is clean water — and a little consistent care.

Here’s exactly what we recommend.

Start With Clean Water (This Is the Big One)

If you only remember one thing, let it be this:
Clean water is everything.

Fresh water keeps bacteria from building up in the vase, which is what shortens the life of your flowers. You can skip the DIY additives — plain, room temperature tap water is completely fine.

Before placing your flowers in a vase:

• Make sure the vase is clean

• Fill it with fresh, room-temperature water

• Remove any leaves that would sit below the water line

Leaves submerged in water break down quickly and create bacteria — which means your flowers won’t last nearly as long.

Give the Stems a Fresh Cut

Flowers drink through their stems, and once they’ve been sitting for a bit, the ends can seal themselves off. A quick trim helps them rehydrate and perk back up.

How to cut them properly:

• Hold the arrangement like a bouquet

• Remove it from the water

• Cut ½–1 inch off the bottom of the stems

• Always cut at an angle (this gives the stems more surface area to drink)

You don’t need fancy tools — clean scissors or floral snips work just fine.

Refresh the Water Every Other Day

Instead of topping off the vase, fully refresh it.

Every other day:

1. Remove the flowers from the vase

2. Dump the old water

3. Rinse the vase if needed

4. Refill with fresh, room-temperature tap water

5. Re-cut the stems if you have time

This simple reset makes a huge difference in how long your flowers last.

Remove Wilting Stems as You Go

As individual blooms begin to fade, don’t be afraid to edit the arrangement.

• Remove any stems that have started to wilt

• This keeps bacteria from spreading to the healthy flowers

• Your arrangement will look better and last longer overall

Think of it as letting the strongest blooms shine ✨

The Bottom Line

You don’t need to overthink flower care. A little attention goes a long way.

To recap:

• Clean vase + clean water

• No leaves below the water line

• Cut stems at an angle every other day

• Replace the water every other day

• Remove wilting blooms

That’s it. Simple, effective and proven to work!