How to Clean Cloudy Glasses

You open the dishwasher, pull out a drinking glass, hold it up to the light, and it looks like it's been sandblasted. Or dipped in skim milk. You wash it again. Still cloudy. You wonder whether your guests will notice. (They will. They'll be too polite to mention it, but they will.)

Here's the thing: cloudy glasses aren't all the same. The haze might be minerals from hard water, a film of leftover detergent or permanent damage to the glass itself, and each one needs a different fix.

Here's how to figure out which kind you have, how to clean cloudy glasses that can be saved and how to keep the rest of your glassware crystal clear.

Why Are My Glasses Cloudy?

There are three usual suspects:

• Hard water film: Hard water is full of calcium and magnesium. When it dries on glass, it leaves a chalky white film or spots. The good news: it's completely fixable.
• Detergent film: Too much detergent, a dishwasher that isn't rinsing well or a clogged filter can leave a sticky, cloudy residue. Also fixable.
• Etching: Permanent damage to the surface of the glass. It happens when soft water, too much detergent and high heat team up and actually wear away the glass. It looks like a milky haze, sometimes with a faint rainbow sheen or fine lines. Sadly, nothing removes it.

The 30-Second Vinegar Test

Before you start scrubbing, find out what you're dealing with:

1. Dip a cloth or your fingertip in white vinegar.
2. Rub it on a cloudy spot for 30 seconds.
3. Rinse and dry the glass.

If the spot is clear: It's hard water film. Keep reading. You can fix this.

If it's still cloudy: Try washing it by hand with dish soap and hot water. If that clears it up, it was detergent film. If nothing changes, the glass is etched.

How to Remove Hard Water Film From Glasses

For a Few Glasses: Vinegar Soak

1. Warm some white vinegar in the microwave until it's warm, not hot.
2. Soak the glasses in it for 15 minutes, or fill a sink with equal parts warm vinegar and water. For heavy buildup, soak for an hour or more.
3. Scrub gently with a soft cloth or bottle brush. A paste of baking soda and water helps on stubborn spots.
4. Wash with dish soap, rinse well and dry with a lint-free cloth.

For a Whole Load: The Dishwasher Vinegar Rinse

1. Load the cloudy glasses into an empty dishwasher. Don't add detergent.
2. Set a bowl or measuring cup filled with 2 cups of white vinegar upright on the top rack.
3. Run the hottest normal cycle. The vinegar mixes with the wash water and dissolves the minerals.
4. Run a second cycle with detergent if any vinegar smell lingers.

A citric acid dishwasher cleaner or booster works the same way, and some people prefer it to vinegar. Do the vinegar rinse once a month if you have hard water, and it'll clean your dishwasher at the same time.

Products That Help

For stemware and wine glasses, a specialty glass cleaner like Restaurant Crystal Clean or Wine Enthusiast Stem Shine removes cloudiness and soap residue without a long soak.

How to Remove Detergent Film

What to Do About Etched Glasses

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but etching is permanent. The surface of the glass is actually pitted, and no amount of vinegar, polishing or scrubbing will bring it back. What you can do:

• Stop it from getting worse by following the prevention tips below.
• Hand-wash your good glasses from now on, especially crystal and anything you'd be heartbroken to lose.
• Give etched glasses a second career as pencil cups, votive holders, bud vases or paint-water cups for the kids. A frosted look can be kind of charming with a candle inside.
• Or let them go. If they're not bringing you joy at dinner, they don't need to take up cabinet space.

How to Keep Glasses From Getting Cloudy

• Use rinse aid. This is the single biggest fix for hard water spots. Rinse aid helps water sheet off the glass instead of drying in droplets. Fill the dispenser and check it monthly.
• Use the right amount of detergent for your water. Hard water needs the full dose. Soft water (including water from a softener) needs less, or it will etch your glasses.
• Don't prerinse. Scrape plates into the trash, but skip the rinse. Detergent needs a little food to work on. With nothing to clean, it attacks the glass instead. (And you'll save water.)
• Skip the heated dry. High heat bakes on minerals and speeds up etching. Use the air-dry or energy-saver setting, and crack the door open at the end of the cycle.
• Run the hot water at the kitchen sink first, until it's hot, before you start the dishwasher. It helps the first fill start hot, so the detergent dissolves completely.
• Clean the filter monthly, and do a vinegar rinse once a month if you have hard water.
• Don't overcrowd the top rack. Glasses need space for water to reach them and rinse them clean.
• Hand-wash crystal, vintage glass and anything with gold or painted trim. Here's how to clean crystal.

Cloudy Vases, Bottles and Decanters

Narrow necks make these tough to scrub. Two easy fixes:

• Vinegar and rice: Add warm white vinegar and a tablespoon or two of uncooked rice. Swirl for a minute, let it soak for an hour, swirl again and rinse.
• Denture tablets: Fill with warm water, drop in two denture-cleaning tablets and let it sit overnight. Rinse well in the morning.

Dry them upside down, or tuck a rolled-up lint-free cloth inside to wick out the moisture so new water spots don't form.

Cloudy Glasses: Quick Answers

Why are my glasses cloudy after the dishwasher?

Usually one of three things: hard water film, detergent residue or etching. Rub a cloudy spot with white vinegar. If it clears, it's hard water. If hand-washing clears it, it's detergent film. If nothing works, the glass is etched.

How do you get cloudy film off glasses?

Soak them in warm white vinegar for 15 minutes, scrub gently, then wash, rinse and dry. For a whole load, put 2 cups of vinegar in a bowl on the top rack and run an empty dishwasher cycle without detergent.

Can etched glass be fixed?

No. Etching is permanent damage to the surface of the glass. You can stop it from getting worse by using less detergent, not prerinsing and skipping the heated dry.

Does rinse aid prevent cloudy glasses?

Yes, for hard water spots and film. Rinse aid helps water sheet off glasses instead of drying in mineral-filled droplets. It won't fix etching.

Does vinegar damage glasses?

No. White vinegar is safe on glass. Skip it on gold-trimmed or painted glassware and on natural stone countertops.

Keep Going

Keep everything in your kitchen sparkling with these related guides:

• How to Clean Crystal: Glasses, vases and decanters, without clouding them.
• How to Clean a Kitchen: Seven steps and the germiest spots.
• How to Clean Stainless Steel Pans: Even burnt ones.
• Cleaning Small Kitchen Appliances: The toaster, coffee maker and blender.
• Garbage Disposal Maintenance Made Easy: Clean, freshen and unjam it.
• Get Windows Clean for Less Cash: Streak-free windows on the cheap.
• Making Your Home Party Friendly: How to host a party people remember.
• Green Home Cleaning Tips: Clean your house without the harsh chemicals.