Those blurry, cloudy-white stains on your glasses are due to hard water, which has a high mineral content that can leave stains on various surfaces. These stains are more evident in smooth surfaces like glass, marble, and laminate, but are fairly simple to clean once you know how!
In this article, we'll show you how you can clean cloudy glasses at home with only some household cleaning staples, and a bit of scrubbing! Get rid of the cloudiness once and for all, and enjoy drinking from crystal clear glasses!
What You'll Need
You don't need a lot of tools and cleaning solutions to get rid of the cloudiness from glass. At most, you'll need your regular dishwashing solutions, and some vinegar to remove the streaks from cloudy glass. Baking soda helps remove stains, but is completely optional especially if the glass is mildly cloudy. Here's what you'll need:
- Dish soap or Dishwasher tablets
- White vinegar
- Baking soda (optional)
- Soft cloth
- Microfiber cloth
How to Clean Cloudy Glasses: A Step-by-step Guide
Step 1: Inspect the Glass
First, inspect the glass to make sure the cloudiness on the surface is not caused by scratched glass. Scratched, etched, or textured glass gives a cloudy appearance similar to calcium stains left behind by hard water. Run your hand across the surface, and feel if the glass is rough. Scratches can often give a rough texture to glass in addition to the cloudy appearance.
Step 2: Wash and Dry Glassware like Normal
Wash and dry the glass as you normally would, especially if you've just used it. Hand wash glass with some mild dish soap and warm water, or place it on the top rack of the dishwasher to get rid of any oils, fingerprints, and streaks. This will help prepare the glasses for the next step.
Step 3: Apply Vinegar to Cloudy Glasses
Take your soft cloth, and apply some pure vinegar to it. Vinegar dissolves the calcium stains caused by hard water, cleaning cloudy glasses to a clear finish. Soak the cloth in some vinegar, and start wiping the cloudy glass in a circular motion until the stains are completely gone. Rinse under some clean water to get rid of the vinegar residue.
Whenever possible, use soft water when washing glass, porcelain, and other smooth dinnerware to keep them free from streaks and stains. Doing so will minimize the frequency of having to spot clean your wares.
Step 4: Wipe Glass Dry, and Store
Take your microfiber cloth, and use it to wipe your glasses dry. Microfiber materials do not leave any residue or fibers behind, making them perfect to use for cleaning glass, ceramics, and stainless steel!
Make sure your glasses are dry before storing them to prevent mineral streaks to create a cloudy glass. You may use the drying function of your dishwasher to make sure the glasses are completely dry before storing.
Keeping Your Glassware Clear
You've removed the water stains, but how do you prevent cloudy glass in the future? Since the stains come from the high mineral content in the water, you may want to install a water softener for washing your dishes. Here's how you can keep glass clear:
- Make sure glass dinnerware is dry before storing, and wipe every crevice of the glass dry with a clean cloth.
- Avoid leaving water, juice, or other drinks in glass to dry and crust up, as they may cause cloudiness in glass items.
- Clean and polish your glasses regularly to prevent mineral stains from accumulating on the surface.
- Do not use window glass cleaners as they may not be food safe for use in dinnerware.
- Etched glasses cannot be cleaned, and will have to be filled with a resin material or replaced as the glass may break off microscopic shards in your drink.
Clear and Clean
Cloudy glasses are unavoidable when you've got hard water running through your tap, but regular home cleaning and maintenance is the key to keeping your dinnerware clean and clear. When it's time for housekeeping, look not further than Luce Home for an all-around, top to bottom cleaning of your home!
Check out our full list of services, and contact us with your specifics to schedule a cleaning session!
