Can crystal be washed in the dishwasher?

Crystal items can be washed in the dishwasher, but it is important to use caution. Dishes made of valuable material may become cloudy, covered with cracks and yellowish stains if you make mistakes:

choose the wrong mode;
use the wrong detergent

This trouble happened to me when I didn’t want to bother with manually washing a crystal salad bowl and I simply put it in an already filled dishwasher, choosing the classic washing mode. Instead of the expected shine, I received cloudy glass with streaks.

To prevent such a nuisance from happening to you, I will tell you which crystal dishes cannot be washed in a machine, even in delicate mode, and in which case an electric assistant will save time and effort.

How to properly wash crystal in the dishwasher?

In order for the dishes to look like new after “water procedures”, I recommend adhering to the following rules:

Precautionary measures

Crystal, despite its external similarity to glass, remains a delicate and capricious material: it quickly fades when exposed to high temperatures, and becomes covered with scratches and cracks from the slightest damage.

Knowing these features, I advise you not to use a dishwasher to wash the following types of crystal glassware:

thin glasses or wine glasses - under the influence of strong water pressure there is a high risk that the fragile material will crack or burst;
products with gilding or a printed pattern - under the influence of detergent, the pattern will first fade and then completely disappear;
collectible pieces made of colored crystal - no one can guarantee that after automatic washing the dishes will not become cloudy or crack;
objects with an abundance of thin parts - even a slight vibration coupled with water pressure can cause a vase or glass to become covered with cracks.

All other crystal products, especially the so-called “Soviet” vases, salad bowls, bowls and glasses, can be safely washed in the dishwasher, following some recommendations.

We recommend: How to replace dishwasher salt - available options for acceptable analogues

How to wash crystal

Crystal dishes in the house are a sign of the housewife’s good taste, her desire to bring aristocracy and a special style to the hearth. However, over time, dust settles on the crystal and fingerprints may remain on it. Therefore, you have to wash crystal not only after each use of the dishes, but also after it has been standing on the shelf for some time. How to do it correctly, can crystal be washed in the dishwasher?

Tips from housewives

Care and caution when handling crystal is required before and after placing it in the dishwasher. When washing baccarat by hand, it is recommended to lay a terry towel on the bottom of the basin. Tips from housewives will help you avoid troubles when handling fragile glass and preserve its quality for a long time:

You can remove dirt at the bottom of a decanter or vase by pouring coarse salt inside, pouring in water and vinegar, and shaking: the bottom will be cleaned;
no need to use waffle towels to wipe crystal products;
wipe wine glasses and glasses, supporting them by the base of the container, not the legs;
You cannot pour anything hot into carved glassware - crystal does not tolerate high temperatures.

It is contraindicated to place fragile objects in the microwave or oven. It is better to wipe with a cotton cloth: a terry towel leaves lint on the surface. Crystal glassware should be stored in a dry room.

Basic rules for washing crystal

There are several types of crystal that require different care. Crystal dishes that contain lead impurities require special attention. Crystal dishes made from inexpensive crystal do not require delicate care. But it is required for products made of rock crystal.

Any crystal is considered a fragile material that reacts negatively to temperature changes. Therefore, when washing, it is important to follow certain rules:

The water temperature should not exceed 35 degrees.
You can wipe your crystal glassware with napkins made of lint-free cloth and microfiber.
If the dishes are made of medium quality crystal, then you can use the dishwasher.

Baccarat hand wash rules

Medium quality crystal products can be placed in the dishwasher, high quality crystal products cannot. Without using a machine, dishes are cleaned in a deep basin. Detergent is prepared from available products in the kitchen, or special powders and gels are used. Manual washing of baccarat is carried out in the following ways:

Fill the basin with water with a temperature <35ºС, pour in the required amount of table vinegar. The solution removes dirt from any surface, including gold-plated crystal.
Add coarse table salt crystals to the previously prepared composition. An additional ingredient will help remove brown deposits from long-term storage of glasses in the cupboard.
The greasy film is easily washed off from the crystal with a solution of ammonia. The mixture is prepared in the ratio of a tablespoon per 1 liter of water.

Glass care products, starch, baking soda - all these liquids and powders are used as detergents. After removing dirt, rinse the dishes with cool water and wipe dry with a napkin or lint-free cloth.

How to wash crystal glassware by hand

The choice of detergent plays an important role when you need to wash your crystal items. You can use products from a specialized store or proven means at hand. At home there is always acetic acid, soda and ammonia.

You will need to prepare a deep basin, fill it with water whose temperature does not exceed 35 degrees, and pour in a sufficient amount of acetic acid. The prepared solution will perfectly remove all contaminants. This product can be used for crystal dishes decorated with gilding.
You can add a small amount of coarse salt to the prepared solution. This measure will remove brown deposits that may form if products are stored in a cabinet for a long time.
If there is a greasy coating on the crystal glassware, it is recommended to use ammonia. The proportion should be proportionate to the volume of water: no more than one tablespoon per liter of water.
You can clean crystal glassware using starch. Pour a small amount of starch onto a napkin slightly moistened with water. Clean the dishes.
Our mothers and grandmothers used soda to wash crystal products. If you need to remove old and dried dirt from crystal items, you should use a soda solution. In this solution you need to soak the products for a quarter of an hour. But don’t scrub the dishes with baking soda!
To wash crystal glassware, you can also use glass care products that do not leave streaks after use. After washing with their help, you need to be especially careful and rinse the dishes several times with clean, cool water.
After the dirt has been removed, it is recommended to rinse the dishes thoroughly. To keep crystal items sparkling clean, after washing you need to wipe them dry with a microfiber or wool cloth.
If hard water was used for washing, you can use alcohol to remove plaque. It is necessary to moisten a cloth with alcohol and wipe the problem areas of the product. Similar steps can be performed using ammonia and acetic acid.

Choose a detergent that will not harm the products.

Folk remedies

As an alternative to rather rough processing in the dishwasher, you can use traditional methods. Moreover, the latter are noticeably more effective in some cases. Here, a lot depends on the degree and type of contamination of the dishes.

Hydrogen peroxide

The product can be found at any pharmacy. Hydrogen peroxide has wide potential for medical purposes, but more often it is used for domestic needs. It has gentle bleaching properties, carefully removing plaque from crystal glassware. In this case, the active substance does not destroy the structure of the material, but rather creates an additional protective layer.

Crystal cleaning:

Pour 5 liters of hot water into a basin, preferably filtered: without excess salts and other undesirable elements.
Add 3 tbsp. l. hydrogen peroxide and mix thoroughly.
Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.
Use a cotton swab to clean the dishes.

To prevent the formation of streaks, you can remove any remaining product with a dry rag.

Ammonia

First of all, you need to wash the dishes from dirt and dust with a damp sponge. Then dry the crystal with a dry cloth. Next, dilute ammonia with water (room temperature) in equal proportions. We soak cotton swabs in the resulting solution and treat the dishes with them.

When working with ammonia, it is a good idea to wear gloves and a gauze bandage. In addition to the fact that the vapors of the product emit far from pleasant aromas, they can cause an allergic reaction. Many pets react very sharply to the pungent smell of ammonia.

After cleaning, the crystal must be placed in some shaded place. Freshly applied ammonia in direct sunlight will cause the formation of small stains that are very difficult to remove.

Blue with chalk

Methylene blue solution is an excellent remedy for yellowness. All tableware, along with crystal, over time and due to lack of care begins to become covered with an unflattering yellow coating. It is almost impossible to remove it with ordinary water, especially in advanced cases.

Crystal reading:

Grind ordinary lime chalk into powder using a pestle and mortar.
Mix half a tsp in a small plastic container. blue, 2 tbsp. l. chalk and a couple of tablespoons of warm water.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and wait 10-15 minutes.
Using cotton swabs, carefully apply the product.
After 15-20 minutes, you need to rinse the dishes with plenty of warm water and then wipe with a dry cloth.

You cannot rub blue with chalk into crystal, only apply it to the products. Otherwise, small particles of lime will scratch the finicky surface.

Vinegar

For greater efficiency, you can use classic table salt along with regular table vinegar. This approach is especially effective in combating yellow stains and dark spots on crystal glassware.

Product cleaning:

We dilute 1 tbsp. l. salt in a liter of warm (preferably filtered) water.
We place rags on the bottom of a plastic container, and distribute the dishes on top.
Pour the previously prepared mixture into a bowl and leave for 10-15 minutes.
We dilute 1 tbsp. l. vinegar in a liter of warm water.
We empty the container from the previous solution and pour a new one - acidic.
We wait 10-15 minutes and thoroughly rinse the dishes with running water.

This step-by-step washing allows you to clean almost any dirt. The only thing is that you need to be extremely careful with salt and not exceed the specified proportions. Excess can damage the surface of the crystal and cause not only scratches, but also microcracks.

Unusual uses for a dishwasher

Most housewives use the capabilities of the dishwasher at 200%.

Subject to water procedures

children's toys (plastic, construction set)
vacuum cleaner brushes (pre-cleaned of hair and rinsed under water)
kitchen sponges and cloth napkins
glass lampshades and chandelier parts
cups for toothbrushes, soap dishes, plastic towel holders

A dishwasher greatly simplifies life and saves time. Now you don’t have to manually wash pans and pots; just remove any leftover food and put the dishes in the dishwasher compartment. In this case, you need to know which material is suitable for washing, and which is better to wash by hand. Timely care and cleaning of parts will keep your dishwasher in excellent condition for as long as possible.