Home Remedies for Cleaning Crystal
How to clean dull crystal items to make them shine?
Every housewife should know the answer to this question. Cleaning with improvised means is simple and effective, but it is important to know the basic rules. When rubbing crystal, use only a lint-free cloth, when washing - cool water, and to add shine, use alcohol, vinegar or ammonia
Why can't you wash with hot water? Because the glasses will turn yellow.
Vinegar and baking soda
Dilute in proportions - a tablespoon of each product per liter of water. Place very soft foam rubber on the bottom of the basin and soak the dishes in the solution for 2-3 hours. Rinse well and wipe away any stains. After this, rub the dishes until they shine. This method is also suitable for washing crystal in silver; vinegar and soda will remove blackness from the metal.
Ultrasound device
You can also clean crystal using modern household appliances. There are compact washing machines that clean with ultrasound. It quickly dissolves dirt and removes it from even the most textured surfaces. Place the glasses in the water and turn on the machine - in half an hour the dishes will be washed perfectly clean.
Using the dishwasher
Rice. 6 – Crystal glasses in the dishwasher
With this device you can wash barium crystal. Carefully place the carafe in the dishwasher, select the delicate cycle or short cycle with moderate water temperature (no higher than 40 degrees). Do not put Czech crystal in the dishwasher together with copper, aluminum or silver items. If the water is hard, use regenerating salt. After washing, rinse shiny items with vinegar water.
Mustard powder
Mix 2 tbsp. l. product with the same amount of semolina, pour 150 ml of boiled water and mix well. Soak, rinse, rinse with potassium permanganate at the rate of half a teaspoon of permanganate per 3 liters of water.
Glue and soap
These products can be ideal ingredients for an effective cleaning mixture. Grate the laundry soap on a coarse grater, dissolve a tablespoon in a liter of water, add a little PVA glue. Soak the dishes in the resulting solution for 2 hours, rinse and rub until shiny with a flannel cloth.
Vinegar solution and table salt
These products will make your crystal glassware shiny and shiny. First soak the products in a saline solution, then in vinegar. Correctly calculate the proportions of vinegar and salt - both should be prepared at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. per liter of water. Keep the products in each for 10 minutes.
Potato starch
Rice. 7 – Potato starch for cleaning crystal
To remove yellowness and stains, apply a little powder to a sponge and rub onto damp dishes. Rinse the residue under running water and polish until shiny with a woolen cloth.
Detergent, chalk and blue
Their combination in the form of a paste is also a fairly effective means for cleaning crystal. Mix 2 tbsp. l. chalk with half a teaspoon of blue and 2 tablespoons of water. Wipe the crystal with the mixture and polish the surface, then rinse with water and dishwashing detergent.
Boiled potatoes or potato water
The starch contained in these products makes it easy to remove oil stains from crystal. If potato water is used, the products are placed in it for 15 minutes and then washed. If boiled potatoes are used, then following the advice of experts, apply the pulp from it to the dirty surfaces for 5 minutes, after which the dishes are washed.
Hydrogen peroxide
With its help, yellowed products (for example, those damaged by a fire) are well washed from stone and plaque. For 5 liters of water, take 3 tbsp. l. peroxide and 1 tbsp. l. ammonia solution. Immerse a crystal glass in the mixture for 30 minutes, wipe with a sponge and then with a soft cloth until it becomes clear and sparkles brightly.
Rice. 8 – Hydrogen peroxide for cleaning crystal glassware
Ammonia
Easily gets rid of stained plaque. Dip a rag in a small amount of ammonia and gently and properly wipe the contaminated parts of the crystals. Repeat until the plaque disappears. Instead of ammonia, you can use vodka. These methods will help ensure that your dishes sparkle again in the sun, pleasing to the eye.
Lemon acid
Its solution will help remove oil stains from crystal. Citric acid should be used in a proportion of 1 tbsp. l. per liter of water. Simply rub oily items with the resulting mixture, rinse in clean water and rub with a microfiber cloth until shiny and shiny.
We eliminate plaque
Some kitchen glassware, including decorative vases, may develop limescale over time. Any housewife knows that it is quite difficult to wash it.
There is no point in trying to wipe off cloudiness with scratching brushes or sponges.
How can you wash glassware at home, without using household chemicals? There is a simple way to properly remove plaque. You need to pour ordinary vinegar into a crystal vessel and rub the walls with it. Leave for 15-20 minutes, the stain will begin to dissolve under the action of acid. After this, the dirt can simply be washed off with water.
A solution with citric acid works on the same principle. It is enough to pour water into a contaminated container and pour 2 tbsp into it. spoons of lemon, then stir thoroughly until dissolved.
All home cleansing methods are not only safe for health, but also effective. By following useful recommendations, glassware will delight owners and guests with its dazzling shine and cleanliness for a long time to come.
Rules for cleaning crystal vases
Vases are cleaned in several ways, depending on the type of contamination.
Old vase
Crystal becomes cloudy or yellow simply over time. Simple recipes are recognized as effective.
The items are allowed to soak in water with a delicate dish soap. Rinse with highly diluted vinegar and wipe dry.
Crystal vases
Potatoes can be used to clean old crystal from yellowing:
- the peeled root vegetable is rubbed or cut;
- the mass is distributed over the product for 12–15 minutes;
- wash off, refresh with thoroughly diluted blue;
- wipe immediately to prevent the appearance of colored stains.
Using these methods, yellowness can be removed from any old crystal.
Formed on the surface of vases from the stems and leaves of flowers. Removed with vinegar and salt. For half a liter of water, take a teaspoon of vinegar and half the same spoon of salt.
Whitish coating
Created by hard or chlorinated water. Simple ingredients help get rid of such plaque:
- Rice. A quarter glass of vinegar or soda is poured into the bottom of a large vase, then half a glass of rice is poured in (cracked rice will do). For smaller specimens, two or three tablespoons of rice with one spoon of soda is enough. Shake the vase lightly, after 10–15 minutes the rice is removed and the vase is washed. The mustiness goes away with the dirt.
- Soda. Take equal parts baking soda and water, five to six tablespoons each, and stir. Fill the vase with pieces of newspaper, pour the solution, shake every half hour until the result is achieved. Pour out the contents and rinse.
- Potato. The white coating is rubbed with freshly peeled potato peels.
A white coating can often form at the bottom of a flower vase, but getting to it is sometimes very difficult.
There are several simple ways to solve this problem:
- Fill the vase with warm water, throw in one tablet of soluble aspirin and leave the vase to soak for 12 hours, then rinse the items with water.
- Fill the flower vase with vinegar or lemon solution (dilute 3 tablespoons of acid in 1 liter of water); after 10 minutes, the vase can be washed with water without using detergents.
- Pour warm water into the vase and add 4 tablespoons of salt and soda, after 30 minutes, rinse the crystal product in the usual way.
- Fill the vase with regular Coca-Cola for 30 minutes, then rinse under running water.
You can often notice a white residue at the bottom of a flower vase, but how can you remove it if the product is small and there is no way to “get” to the dirt? You can solve this problem like this:
- throw an effervescent aspirin tablet into a vase filled with warm water and leave for 10–12 hours, then wash the product with clean water;
- fill the vase with a vinegar solution (3 tablespoons per 1 liter of water) for 10 minutes, then rinse and wipe dry;
- add 3-4 tablespoons of soda and salt to a vase with warm water, after 30 minutes, pour out the solution and wash the product.
Sometimes it happens that after thorough cleaning, the appearance of crystal glassware leaves much to be desired. What should you not do when tidying up your crystal? Here is a list of main prohibitions:
- do not use abrasives when cleaning crystal, you may scratch the product;
- wipe off dirt without force or pressure so as not to damage the dishes;
- do not wash crystal with soap, this will lead to plaque formation;
- the water for washing should not be too hot or cold, otherwise the dishes will darken (the optimal temperature is from 30 to 40 degrees);
- When placing glasses or shot glasses in a container with a cleaning solution, do not stack them too tightly, this will lead to damage to the products;
- Do not use fabrics with a hard structure or lint to polish crystal.
In addition, you should not use crystal dishes to serve hot dishes, or heat food in such plates or salad bowls in a microwave or oven.
By following these simple rules, you will ensure that your dishes will always be in perfect condition.
Components | Mode of application |
| Pour rice into the bottom of the vase (it will clean the dirt), and then soda (it will eliminate the smell). Pour in the liquid and shake the ingredients. Drain the mixture, rinse the cleaned vase, and dry. For a small vase, take 2 tbsp. l. rice and 1 tbsp. l. soda |
| Tear the newspaper into pieces, place it on the bottom of the vase, and pour a mixture of soda and water on top. Shake the container, leave for half an hour, and then shake again. Rinse the vase and wipe with a dry cloth. |
| Crush the egg shells and place them at the bottom of the vase. Sprinkle soda on top and pour in water. Shake the container thoroughly, then rinse and dry. |
How to wash crystal: rules for caring for dishes
To wash crystal from dirt and give it shine, you can use various methods and means. But in any case, it is necessary to follow the basic rules for caring for this fragile material.
- Before you start cleaning glasses in a basin or large pan, place foam rubber or soft cloth on the bottom of the container, this will reduce the risk of cracks and scratches.
- Remove the rings from your fingers and put on cotton gloves.
- Wash the crystal in warm water, from 30 to 40 degrees.
- After washing, dry the dishes.
- Use foam sponges for washing and soft-lint cloths for wiping.
If you need to wash glasses or glasses with a “leg”, hold the product by it; dishes without legs should be grasped by the bottom.
What and how to clean crystal
Household detergents are used to clean crystal. But simple “folk” compositions made from improvised means will cope with the task perfectly.
Folk remedies
Among the folk remedies for crystal, the following are suitable:
- Laundry soap. A solution for cleaning contaminants is prepared from its shavings. The soap is ground with a grater, and the shavings are diluted in cool water. An option is to wash the crystal with a soapy sponge.
- Chalk. Dry chalk powder should not be used to rub products, but a cleaning paste is made from it. To do this, crushed chalk is mixed with an equal amount of water: 3 tbsp. chalk – 3 tbsp. water. There should be no abrasive particles left in the paste.
- Dry cleaning with starch. Apply the starch to a dry, clean napkin (paper or fabric), wipe the stains until they disappear, and remove any remaining starch.
- A solution of table vinegar, salt, soda. Recipe: mix 1 tbsp. table (sea) salt with 2 tbsp. vinegar 9%, 2 tbsp. water. The composition is applied to the crystal, after 5-10 minutes it is washed off with plenty of cool water.
- Gentle compositions are used for products decorated with painting or gilding. Dilute 1 tbsp in a liter of water. l. table vinegar. The solution is applied to the crystal, avoiding friction of the painted areas.
- Potato broth does an excellent job of removing greasy stains on dishes. After boiling the peeled potatoes, cool the water to room temperature and soak glasses and salad bowls in it. After this, it is easy to remove even old fat from the products.
- Soda solution. Dilute 1 tbsp in a liter of water. soda Soda is good at removing drink residues from wine glasses and wine glasses. The solution is poured into the container and washed clean after 5 minutes.
- Raw potatoes. It has whitening properties and perfectly removes yellowness and darkening from old crystal dishes or chandeliers. The tuber is grated on a fine grater, the pulp is applied to the dirt, washed thoroughly, and rinsed.
The components of the solutions are not harmless to the skin of the hands; work is carried out with protective gloves.
There is an opinion that soap leaves a greasy film on the crystal, making it less shiny. To solve the problem, after using a soap solution, the products are thoroughly rinsed with a weak vinegar solution (1 tablespoon per liter of water) and then polished.
Chemical household products
Household chemicals for cleaning crystal use the same preparations as for glass and ordinary dishes. Stores also sell specialized compositions for crystal products.
General rules for using household chemicals for crystal:
- to clean interior items, it is permissible to use conventional sprays, aerosols for glass and tiled surfaces;
- for cutlery - only gel-like, foamy dishwashing detergents.
The use of cleaning powders, as well as aggressive preparations for removing grease (which contain chlorine and caustic alkalis) is not allowed.
Removing old dirt and stains
Particularly stubborn dirt and stains require careful cleaning. In general, both compositions according to “folk” recipes and purchased chemicals can cope with the task.
For stubborn stains on crystal:
- soak in cool water with added detergent;
- clean with the selected composition;
- rinse thoroughly, wash;
- wipe and polish until shiny.
If necessary, the procedure is repeated several times.
How to polish products to a shine
To polish crystal to a shine, use the following methods:
- To give the products a special shine, grandmothers in the villages used blueing - a tinting chemical that makes things dazzling white after washing. Modern blue is sold in household chemicals for the home. For crystal, a small amount of blue is diluted in cool water (until a transparent blue color), and the glass is rinsed with the solution.
- The vinegar rinse solution gives the crystal shine and sparkle. Table vinegar 9% is diluted in water in the following proportion: for 2 liters of water 2 tbsp. vinegar.
After rinsing, the crystal products are wiped and polished - rubbed with a soft cloth made of wool, pure cotton or microfiber (paper napkins are suitable).
How to make a crystal product sparkle and shine
The crystal is washed, there is no plaque or visible traces of dirt. But how can you make your favorite vase sparkle again, and the edges of the glass shine with a diamond shine?
There is nothing complicated here either. We recommend that you choose one of the following:
- Alcohol. Wet a cloth with alcohol and thoroughly wipe the product inside and out. Wait until completely dry.
- Vinegar. In a glass of clean water, dilute 2 tbsp. l. vinegar. Leave the product in the resulting solution for a while, then wipe dry with a rag.
- Ammonia. Mix ammonia solution with water in a ratio of 1:3. Dip crystal items into the resulting mixture, then dry the items with a napkin.
Crystal glass products can have a practical or decorative function, but in both cases the items require proper and regular care
Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia
A mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide will not only clean the crystal of yellowness, but will make the products shine and shine:
- Pour 5 liters of warm water (30–40 degrees) into a basin.
- Add 1 tbsp. l. ammonia and 3 tbsp. l. hydrogen peroxide. Stir.
- Dip the dishes into the solution and leave for half an hour.
- Then wipe with a foam sponge soaked in the same solution.
- Wipe dry.
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How can I wash it?
In order for your favorite crystal to shine and delight its owners for decades, you need to know how to properly wash it at home. In addition to the fact that it is necessary to wash the products from contamination, they must be cleaned until they shine. To do this, you can use the following simple but effective methods:
- Soak a cloth in alcohol and thoroughly rub the crystal, then wipe with a microfiber cloth.
- Rinse the items in the vinegar solution, then rub them with a wool rag.
- Dilute ammonia in water and lower the products into it, keep them in the solution for at least an hour, then wipe dry.
- Cut the potatoes into large lengthwise pieces. Then place the chopped potatoes in a crystal vase or salad bowl, fill with clean water and leave for several days. After 3-4 days, rinse the crystal thoroughly.
- Another rather unusual way to help restore shine to objects is coffee grounds. The products are dipped into it and left for 2-3 hours. After this time, they are washed in water and vinegar, then dried with a cotton cloth.
- If plaque appears on the bottom and walls of the dishes, you can use water and vinegar: fill the dishes with this solution in a 1: 1 ratio and leave for 12 hours.
To wash gold-plated crystal, you need to leave it in clean warm water for a couple of hours, then rub it gently without touching the gold-plated areas. Then rinse in a mixture of vinegar and purified water and wipe with a dry cloth.
Rock crystal is a natural material. It is quite resistant to chemical and mechanical influence. It is not afraid of direct sunlight and contact with cleaning solutions, for this reason caring for this mountain mineral is simple. It is recommended to wash rock crystal with a soft sponge in a solution of liquid washing powder. Then rinse under running cool water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
Artificial crystal is considered especially beautiful; it is usually called Czech and Bohemian glass. Despite the fact that dishes made from Czech glass outwardly seem fragile and thin, they are absolutely undemanding in terms of care. It can be washed both by hand and in the dishwasher.
One of the most suitable folk methods for washing Czech glass is this: add 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 liter of water. This composition will give a radiant shine.
If the crystal product has become cloudy, a solution of warm soapy water mixed with blue will come to the rescue. If a decanter or a jug with a narrow neck becomes cloudy, it is recommended to use a thick mixture of soda and peas. It is poured into a vessel and shaken thoroughly, then washed with water.
It happens that products become cloudy because too hot water was used to wash them. In this situation, a solution of 0.5 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of water will help out.
Yellowed crystal can be cleaned with a mixture of chalk and half a spoon of blue. The surface of the objects must be thoroughly treated with this mixture. A bluish tint may remain on the walls of the product, which can be easily removed with a woolen cloth.
White, greenish or dark brown deposits on the bottom of crystal products can be eliminated using a variety of methods. Let's look at them below:
- A solution of acetic acid and salt. To obtain this solution, add half a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of vinegar to a liter of water. The dishes are soaked in it for a quarter of an hour.
- A mixture of 3-4 tablespoons of salt and soda is poured into the product for 30 minutes.
- Another proven and original method is to use carbonated drinks, such as Coca-Cola, as a cleansing composition.
- Mix baking soda and chopped pieces of newspaper. Shake the vessel every half hour until the coating disappears.
- Pour a few spoons of rice and soda into crystal objects, fill with water and mix. The soda will remove plaque, and the rice will absorb all the unpleasant odor.
- Add one aspirin tablet to the water and leave overnight. During this time, the pollution will disappear.
- Existing plaque can be rubbed with potato skins.
- You can get rid of greenish and brown marks on a vase or jug by using coarse salt. In this case, the coating will not deteriorate, because the salt crystals from the water will be smoothed out.
What not to do
Crystal products need to be properly cared for, otherwise they will turn yellow ahead of time, lose their shine or become cloudy.
The choice of detergents and cleaning products must be approached with caution
Hot water
The crystal lamp cannot be washed with hot water, otherwise it will become cloudy or yellow. Crystal is afraid of too sharp temperature changes; you cannot wash the chandelier parts with warm water and then suddenly immerse them in cold water.
Cold water
If water is too cold, grease or dirt may not be washed off. The ideal temperature of the aqueous solution is 27-40 degrees Celsius. You can rinse the parts of the washed lamp in cool water with the addition of vinegar essence.
Abrasive compounds
To wash a crystal lamp, you cannot use salt, soda, or powder. The abrasive particles of these products can damage the delicate surface of the crystal. For cleaning, choose a mild and non-foaming detergent.
Cannot be washed in PMM
Washing a crystal chandelier is a hard and time-consuming job. After all, the lamp needs to be disassembled, each part removed, washed separately, rinsed, dried, polished. If such a job seems overwhelming to someone, you can buy a spray for cleaning crystal chandeliers and spray it on the crystal. It is not advisable to wash the lamp elements in a dishwasher; the pendants may turn yellow or crack.
General cleaning recommendations
When starting to clean crystal products, you should consider:
- Deep (“pot-bellied”) glasses with thin, high stems are especially fragile. When washing, hold them by the bottom, placing the base of the stem between your fingers. This is the easiest way to prevent a breakdown.
- Cover the bottom of the sink or basin in which washing is planned with a soft, clean cloth. It will help prevent fragile glass from breaking.
- Wash products with cool water. Hot water spoils the surface of the crystal, it becomes cloudy and covered with small cracks.
- It is very easy to scratch delicate glass. When cleaning, do not use brushes with hard bristles or cleaning powders.
- Wash crystal with liquid detergents using a soft cloth or sponge. For deep curves, you can use a brush with soft bristles (preferably natural).
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How to wash crystal to make it shine
Modern means will help the housewife save time; you can choose from different price categories. How to wash crystal glassware to make it shine:
- Use simple detergents without adding alkali. They wash away dust well and every housewife has them in her arsenal, but they will not save you from severe dirt and white deposits;
- Use special cleaning products for different categories. You can wash the chandelier using only an aerosol that blows dust from every crack. Most often, housewives choose a product for contactless cleaning of chandeliers - Unicum or PRO SEPT;
- Use more foam, it raises excess dust and dirt, washing them even out of the drawing;
- Do not leave the product on the walls for a long time;
- Do not put pressure on the walls of crystal dishes, even if you need to scrub them;
- You can use paper towels or microfiber to dry.
You can wash the chandelier using only an aerosol that blows dust from every crack.
Additionally, during home cleaning you can use the following products:
- Glass cleaner Mister Muscle.
It is especially effective to use for washing bowls and vases; It is especially effective to use for washing bowls and vases. - Microfiber cloths have several positive characteristics: they are soft and do not leave lint;
Microfiber cloths are soft and lint-free. - Use dish gel.
Products containing neogenic substances are well suited. Products containing neogenic substances are well suited.
When it comes to caring for a chandelier made of crystal, sometimes even experienced professionals don’t know what to wash it with. Moreover, few people take on such work knowing the features of crystal. The only way to avoid damaging the chandelier and its components is to use a non-contact cleaning method. How to wash crystal to make it shine at home:
- It is advisable to use modern aerosols. They literally blow out pollution under air pressure;
- It is better to initially purchase products that have a special antistatic effect;
Methods can be divided into two main categories: wet and dry. The first type is used during general cleaning, the second for weekly care. Moreover, for chandeliers made from high quality material, it is better to use a dry and non-contact method, which can protect the parts. You can use Eurosvet or Prosept aerosols. Both products differ in cost; after studying the reviews, you can understand that the cleaning effect is identical. How to clean crystal until it shines using an aerosol:
- The product is sprayed onto the parts of the chandelier. It is advisable not to miss hard-to-reach places, as they will attract insects in the future, leaving behind the result of their vital activity;
- The product is applied until the first drops form on the parts;
- Within 5-10 minutes the product dissolves dirt;
- The spraying procedure is repeated again (for polishing);
- Next, the product needs to drain on its own. To prevent drops of the product from spoiling the carpet or other covering, it is advisable to cover it with film or an unnecessary rag.
It is necessary to wear a respirator when working with aerosols. Children should not be in the room at the time of spraying. If drops of the product get into your eyes, you should rinse them with warm water and consult your doctor. If drops of the product get into your eyes, you should rinse them with warm water and consult your doctor.
Dry cleaning is carried out in rooms where the windows are always closed and the air conditioning is running. Otherwise, it will be meaningless, since soot from cars, grease and insect excrement will settle on the walls. Clean with an antistatic broom; it is advisable to do this very carefully so that the structural parts do not come into contact with each other. You can use an empty enema; it can remove dust from hard-to-reach places. To prevent the material from turning yellow, you need to periodically use aerosol cleaning.
Dry cleaning is carried out in rooms where the windows are always closed and the air conditioning is running.