You just washed a batch of glasses, but for some reason they still look foggy and in desperate need of another cycle. What gives? According to Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, two different things could be happening: Hard-water minerals are creating a film build-up or your dishwasher permanently etched the glass. To banish the former, you’ll need these cleaning essentials.
What You’ll Need:
white vinegar
baking soda
microfiber cloth
How to clean cloudy glass
If your issue is hard-water minerals, all you have to do is soak your cups for five minutes in white vinegar. Since it’s acetic, it’ll dissolve the minerals. If stubborn spots still persist, gently rub them off with baking soda. Then rinse the glasses by hand and dry them with a lint-free towel or a microfiber cloth before drinking out of them again.
Prevent future buildup
If this doesn’t work, chances are your glass is etched — which, sadly, means you’re out of luck. “If the film is etching, which happens to some types of glassware in the dishwasher, that unfortunately is permanent and can’t be removed,” explains Forte. That’s why you should always wash your most prized vessels by hand.
In some parts of the country, softened water combined (water without calcium, magnesium and other metals) with dishwasher detergents that contain phosphates can cause etching. If you have softened water, use less detergent than the recommended amount and remove glasses immediately after the wash cycle to avoid the high heat of drying, which can accelerate the etching.
