how to clean cloudy antique decanters?

Don't use harsh modern chemicals or dishwasher tablets. They will permanently etch the surface and worsen the cloudiness. Try a mixture of white vinegar and uncooked rice. Swirl this around inside the bowl to gently scrub the bloom without scratching the soft lead glass.

I picked up this pink glass bowl with ruffled edges at a boot sale recently but what exactly was it used for on the table?

These ruffled bowls are usually part of a dessert service. They held stewed fruits, soft puddings or cream. Victorian dining relied on visual contrast. The bright pink glass stood out against the pale desserts, catching the candlelight and adding colour to the white tablecloth. You might occasionally find them paired with a silver-plated stand, elevating them above the main dishes.

what is uranium glass for?

Makers added uranium to the batch simply as a colourant. It produced a striking yellow-green tint that was fashionable in the late nineteenth century. The fluorescent glow under UV light is just a chemical side effect. The Victorians did not have blacklights to see it.

There are lots of these heavy clear jugs with bumpy patterns all over the outside in the local charity shops, did people use them every day?

Those are pressed glass jugs. They were mass-produced specifically for everyday household use rather than formal entertaining. The bumpy patterns serve a dual purpose. They imitate the look of expensive hand-cut crystal, but they also hide the swirl marks and flaws created by the metal mould. Families used them for water or ale. The thick glass walls meant they could survive the daily rough and tumble of a busy kitchen.

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Antique Victorian Glass

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Produced in a massive range of colours and complex pressed patterns, antique Victorian glass served every household function from storing celery on the dining table to casting decorative light across the drawing room.