How to clean cloudy glasses and glassware

How to clean cloudy wine glasses

Wine glasses are fragile and easily damaged.  So, it’s recommended you clean your wine glasses by hand, regularly and carefully to prevent them from staining and clouding over. Tempting as it is, it’s not advised that you put wine glasses in the dishwasher, as The high temperatures can cause the glass to crack and the humidity can cause the glass to cloud.

For advice on how to clean a decanter, our top tips show you how. Otherwise, just follow these steps to keep your favourite wine glasses crystal clear.

1. 1

   Create a solution by dissolving five tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water.

2. 2

   Fill the wine glass with the solution and let it stand in the glass for a few minutes.

3. 3

   Hold the bowl of the glass rather than the stem, which can be easily broken. Apply a cloth dampened in the solution to the inside and outside of the glass.

4. 4

   Rinse the glass under warm water, making sure to wash away any residue from the baking soda

5. 5

   Dry the glass using a microfibre cloth or kitchen towel.

Smashed a wine glass and wondering how to dispose of broken glass safely? Our handy guide shows you how.

How to clean cloudy glasses with natural products

The good news is that if your glasses are cloudy because of hard water, then they’re very easy to clean and you won’t need to purchase any specialist cleaning products, either.

Here are a few natural cleaning products you’ve probably already got in your home that will work wonders to brighten your glassware up to leave it looking fog-free and new.

How to clean cloudy glasses using toothpaste

This is an excellent way to get your glasses gleaming again, but it does require a bit of elbow grease! There’s no need to use any of those fancy whitening toothpastes, tartar control concoctions, or colourful gels – a basic white toothpaste will do the job nicely here. As a very, very mild abrasive, toothpaste gently removes that cloudy film while not doing any damage to your glassware, so you can even use this method on any fragile crystal.

1. 1

   Spread some toothpaste onto your glasses (inside and out)

2. 2

   Use an old clean toothbrush (or any brush with stiff bristles) to scrub away at the toothpaste, smearing it all across the glass

3. 3

   Rinse away the toothpaste with some warm water

4. 4

   Dry the glass using a microfibre cloth or kitchen towel

Quick Tip: Check out our guide on using vinegar and lemons to disinfect your kitchenware.

How to clean cloudy glasses using vinegar

White vinegar really is a cleaning essential – it works on everything from dirty pots and pans, cleaning a kettle, smeared windows, to yes, even cloudy glassware. The method is so simple, it’ll take you no time at all.

1. 1

   Fill a bowl with white vinegar (not malt vinegar).

2. 2

   Dip your glasses in the bowl of vinegar for a few seconds and remove. The glasses should come out clean.

3. 3

   Most of the vinegar will evaporate as it dries and with it the smell will start to disappear. However, you can give it a helping hand by rinsing the glass under some warm water.

4. 4

   Dry off the glasses using a microfibre cloth or some kitchen roll.

If you still see a bit of cloudiness on your glassware, you can try soaking it in white vinegar instead of dipping it for a few seconds. The acetic acid in the vinegar should eventually break down the mineral build-up, making it easier to remove.

How to clean cloudy glasses using lemon juice

The naturally occurring citric acid in lemons works well to help dissolve those unsightly streaky white stains left by the mineral build-up from hard water. This method is easy, can be used with fresh lemon juice or concentrate and smells pretty good too,

1. 1

   In a bowl, mix three tablespoons of lemon juice (concentrated or fresh) to one cup of water.

2. 2

   Put the glasses in the solution for five to ten minutes, making sure they are fully submerged.

3. 3

   Remove the glasses and the cloudiness should have vanished.

4. 4

   Rinse the glasses under some warm water

5. 5

   Dry off the glasses using a microfibre cloth or some kitchen roll.

Tip: You can rub a lemon over a freshly washed glass to help remove any cloudy build up as well as get rid of any lingering odours. Besides, lemon juice can effectively kill diarrhoea-causing pathogens. So, using it on your glassware can also protect your family’s health.

How to make cloudy glasses crystal clear again with baking soda

Bicarbonate of soda is another natural cleaning product that can help remove that milky deposit on your glassware. Besides, sodium bicarbonate has antibacterial properties. So while you’re making cloudy glasses crystal clear again, you’re also disinfecting them. Here are the steps:

1. 1

   In a basin, mix equal baking soda, vinegar and hot water.

2. 2

   Soak the glassware in the solution for about ten minutes.

3. 3

   Rinse and dry the glass as usual.

4. 4

   If the stain persists, repeat the steps.

Pro Tip: Read our extensive guide on bicarbonate of soda to learn how to use the compound as a cleaning agent around your home.

Can you put cloudy glasses in a dishwasher?

Only glass, and not crystal, should be washed in the dishwasher. As glasses are delicate and can break easily, it’s not advised that wine glasses go in the dishwasher. Instead, it’s best to wash them by hand. If you insist on learning how to fix cloudy glasses in a dishwasher, it’s advisable to set it at a short cycle, using a small amount of detergent.

Once the wash is finished, open the dishwasher door, to release the humidity and allow the glasses to air dry. Before putting any glasses on a wash cycle, always check that they’re dishwasher safe. If you want to know the best way to load a dishwasher, our guide tells you everything you need to know. And if you end up with stains on your glassware, you can read out guide on how to remove dishwasher marks on glasses.

Maintenance for clean glasses

Once you’ve got all your cloudy glassware looking crystal clear again, regular cleaning will slow down the rate at which your glassware becomes dull. If you hand wash your glasses (the recommended method for cleaning wine glasses), add a few tablespoons of white vinegar to your washing up bowl.  If you use a dishwasher, add vinegar to the rinse compartment (the place where you usually put your rinse aid).

While this won’t stop your glasses becoming clouded completely, it will reduce the amount of cloudiness. Moreover, it should take longer for that dullness to build up.

This means you should only need to give your glassware a thorough once over every month or so using the methods listed above.

Some reminders for preventing glasses from becoming cloudy

If all of the tips we shared above do not work, it’s likely that your glassware is etched. Unfortunately, it also means that there is nothing you can do to remove that cloudy appearance from your glasses. So, if you want to keep your valuable glassware from becoming cloudy or etched, you should wash it by hand instead of using the dishwasher.

Another thing to remember is that in some parts of the UK, water is naturally softer. Additionally, some areas may mechanically soften their water and rid it of magnesium, calcium and other metals. When the water is softer and you use heat and dishwasher detergents, your glassware may become etched. It’s also worth noting that the same damage happens to both expensive crystal and cheaper glassware. 

So, if you believe that you have softened water, use less than the recommended dishwasher detergent. It would also help if you use a different detergent because products with higher pH levels can cause etching. As such, look for detergents that are milder or products that do not contain phosphates.

Also, don’t overload the washer to ensure that the glasses are cleaned thoroughly. Of course, after the wash cycle remove the glassware and avoid using heat for drying. Instead, you should dry your glasses using a microfibre cloth. This way, you can keep your glassware from getting etched.

Your top questions on how to clean cloudy glasses

How do you clean cloudy acrylic glasses?

First, wash the glasses in a solution of washing-up liquid and warm water, using a sponge to scrub the inside and outside of the acrylic glass. Then fill a large bowl or a sink with white vinegar, transferring the glasses into the liquid and making sure they are submerged. Leave them in the vinegar for ten minutes or until the cloudiness has gone. If it has worked, rinse off the glasses and dry them with a microfibre cloth. Otherwise, you can apply a thin coating of baking soda to the glasses, working it in with a damp sponge before rinsing clean and drying. All the cloudy residue should now be removed.

What is the milky film on glasses from the dishwasher?

The most common cause is hard water. Hard water contains a high level of calcium and magnesium ions, which can build up on the glass, coating it with a foggy-like film.

Also, hard water can reduce the cleaning power of dishwasher detergent. So, your glasses aren’t getting washed or rinsed correctly and are left with a layer of dirty, soapy water.

To combat the cloudiness, try adding vinegar to the rinse compartment (the place where you usually put your rinse aid). While this won’t stop your glasses becoming clouded completely, it will reduce the amount of cloudiness and it should take longer for that dullness to build up.

Can cloudy glassware be restored?

If your cloudy glasses have been caused by hard water, then there are several effective ways to restore them, most of which use homemade remedies. We’ve already discussed the power of using a water and vinegar solution. You can either spray on or soak your glasses in the solution, as well as use a cleaning paste of baking soda and vinegar.

But there are plenty of other ways to dissolve the cloudy film on your glasses. Try smearing petroleum jelly over the entire glass. Let the product stay on the glass for a few days, then wipe it off. Wash and dry the glassware as you regularly would.

Alternatively, filling your glass with warm water and dropping in a denture cleaning tablet will help dissolve any white streaky marks. Let it sit for ten minutes before rinsing out with warm water and drying off with a microfibre cloth or some kitchen roll.

Does baking soda clean a cloudy glass?

Yes, you can use bicarbonate of soda to clean a cloudy drinking glass. This compound acts as a mild abrasive that can lift the limescale on your glassware. You can also use it with vinegar to effectively remove the build-up.

References:

1. Hardness of water | U.S. Geological Survey. (2019, October 22). https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/hardness-water

2. Acetic acid - chemical safety facts. (2022, October 14). Chemical Safety Facts. https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/chemicals/acetic-acid/