What makes those glasses look so cloudy? Why do they look dirtier after being in the dishwasher than when they went it? If you’ve wondered this before, then we are going to clear up a couple things today! Get it? Clear up! We’re going to make your glasses clear again!
Make your glassware sparkle for its lifetime
Etching
Generally, there are two causes to cloudy glassware. The first cause is called etching.
Etching is when parts of the glass have become worn down from regular use, washing, being handled, etc. This type of clouding is quite difficult to rectify. But it is not caused by one particular thing, it is caused by age.
If you have newish glasses that seem to be clouding up overnight, you probably have an issue with hard water deposits.
Hard Water Deposits
If you notice that you are putting in dirty, clear glasses into the dishwasher, only for them to come out as clean, cloudy glasses, then you probably have what is known as hard water. Hard water contains high mineral levels, and these can sometimes deposit onto your dishes. It’s quite easy to notice on something that should be crystal clear like a wine glass, but more difficult to spot on your plates.
Soap has a difficult time foaming in hard water, so the deposits are more difficult to clean off entirely. This can cause your once pristine glassware to look a little dull and lifeless.
How to Clean Your Cloudy Glassware and Glasses and Make Them Sparkle Again
Lucky for us, hard water issues do have remedies. Furthermore, they can be found in natural, household products. You don’t have to go to the store and buy any special, “hard water remover” to get rid of the mineral deposits clouding up your glassware. Instead, you can use cleaning products probably already around your home that will clear up your glassware and have it back to sparkling in no time.
Vinegar
The first common household product you can use for clearing up your cloudy glasses is vinegar. Vinegar is just an all around awesome cleaning aid. It’s great on floors, showers, anything with water related stains or messes. It also does a great job on your pots and pans, windows, and even your glassware.
All you have to do is fill a container, a bowl, a pot, or large tupperware, with white vinegar, allow your glasses to soak for just a few seconds, and then bam, clear glasses.
The only downside of using vinegar is its scent. Vinegar has very effective cleaning powers but it will also clean out your sense of smell too. That’s not a big deal in this case, however. As the vinegar starts to dry off the glass, most of the smell will disappear. If you give the glass a quick rinse off under cold water, that should take care of the rest.
Toothpaste
You can use basic white toothpaste to clean off your cloudy glasses and make them shine again. You don’t need or want tartar control, whitening pastes, or any of that. Just generic, old-fashioned white toothpaste will do.
Just spread a layer of old-fashioned toothpaste over the insides and outsides of your glasses and use a clean toothbrush to scrub away the cloudiness. The toothpaste should work its way into the glassware and remove the mineral deposits to leave your glasses clean and shiny. That’s all there is to it.
Wrapping Up
You don’t have to do this with every wash, because glasses take time to become cloudy. You can wait until they become really cloudy and do these tricks, or you can hand wash them every once in while with a tablespoon of vinegar dripped into the water.
Toothpaste is really just as effective as vinegar, and vice versa, when it comes to cleaning cloudy glassware. However, each has a trade-off. With vinegar, you save time and energy, but some people are very averse to the smell. With toothpaste, you have no issues with mess or odor, but have to put in a bit more manual work.
Both work great, but the choice is yours!
