No festive feast is complete without crystal utensils. But, unfortunately, crystal loses its luster over time. Many housewives are interested in how to wash crystal so that it shines, and how to wash crystal dishes from yellowness and grease. You will learn about this in our material.
Funds
There are crystal products in every house - these are dishes, figurines, and beautiful vases and chandeliers. On holidays, after the next feast, it is time to wash crystal glasses, vases and salad bowls. Therefore, the house should always have means that will help to clean the crystal correctly and safely.
Of course, you can buy a modern special means for washing crystal, but this is not necessary. You can always use the substances that are in every home. So, to wash products made of crystal, you will need:
- alcohol;
- table vinegar;
- baking soda;
- ammonia;
- starch;
- blue;
- raw potatoes;
- gel detergent for washing dishes;
- paper towels;
- soft lint-free napkins and woolen rags.
Ways
Crystal glasses, salad bowls and other products can be washed both manually and in the dishwasher.
The main thing is that her model should be equipped with a special program for washing fragile glasses, including crystal. Remember that sudden changes in temperature, which are usually the case with many washing modes, can damage fragile products.
In order not to damage the crystal products in the dishwasher, It is important to remember some of the subtleties of this cleaning method:
- Wash glasses and other crystal products only with the help of a special mode, otherwise you risk the fact that the temperature drop will adversely affect the integrity of the products.
- If your crystal products contain barium or lead (this can be found on the packaging label), such products may deteriorate from washing in a dishwasher: dishes may become dull.
- As a detergent for washing crystal glasses, use only those that have a gel consistency. Other dishwasher detergents can scratch glasses and salad bowls.
We remove dirt depending on the subject
It is unacceptable to clean all crystal products in one and the same way, since for each type of product some means can be fatal, while others, on the contrary, will help restore purity and shine.
Tableware
After the feast, you have to wash the mountain of dishes. If all glassware can be quickly and easily washed with a sponge under the tap, then with crystal products you need to be especially delicate.
Many make a blunder when rubbing a crystal product with soda. This method of washing will lead to darkening of the product. Therefore, wash glasses, salad bowls, candy bowls and other crystal utensils in soapy water. You can make it using a conventional gel dishwashing detergent. This method will help get rid of oily stains on crystal products, so you can safely wash salad bowls in this way.
Remember that when you wash your glasses on a thin leg, you should hold it by the bottom to keep it safe and sound.
Wash dishes with gilded elements. in warm water. And as a final step, rinse in a solution using vinegar. And do not forget to dry all products thoroughly with a soft towel after washing.
Sometimes, over time, crystal glassware gets unpleasant yellow spots. Ordinary raw potatoes will help get rid of them. Grate it on a fine grater and apply this slurry to the place on the product where a yellow spot appeared. Leave this for a few minutes, then rinse the product in a weak solution of blue. After that, wipe dry with a cloth.
Chandeliers
Unfortunately, over time, many crystal chandeliers lose their pristine luster and begin to fade, which certainly upsets. But if you know a few simple rules, then it will be easy to return the sparkle to your favorite device.
Regularly clean the rock crystal or Czech crystal chandelier from dust with an antistatic brush. As a rule, such brushes come with a long handle, so you do not have to remove the chandelier or put a large staircase to it.
In order not to remove the chandelier and not disassemble it into parts, you can wash it and weigh. Wear fabric gloves that do not leave lint. Soak them in soapy water and begin to gently wipe each part. This way you can clean every small detail.
After this procedure, you need to wipe each element with a clean soft cloth, and then rub them with a rag soaked in a solution of ammonia. It’s easy to cook the main thing is to know the proportions - 1: 3.
Vases
Before starting to wash the vase, thoroughly clean it from dust with a dry cloth. Then pour warm water into it, add baking soda and a few pieces of a regular newspaper. Leave the vase with the solution for several hours. Shake the mixture periodically. This simple method will help get rid of plaque that appears inside the vessel from water from the tap.
In order for the vase to shine again with purity and brilliance, it must be filled with saline. For this you need sea salt. We take it based on one liter of water one hundred grams of salt. Fill a vase with this solution and leave for several hours, then rinse with clean water and wipe dry with a soft cloth. The muddy and old crystal will regain its luster.
Very often, white streaks and spots remain on the inside of the vase. It is easy to get rid of them with the help of simple potato peelings. Wipe them with white stripes or a thin piece of raw potato, then rinse with warm water.
Clean to shine
It is easy to bring crystal glasses or vases to shine at home, the main thing is to know how to do this and what means to use.
Surely in every house there is table vinegar and ordinary baking soda. They will become faithful helpers in the struggle for the brilliance of crystal.
In order to prepare a solution for washing crystal, you need to dissolve one tablespoon of baking soda in one liter of warm water.
It is important that the soda is well dissolved in water, otherwise its grains can damage the surface of the crystal, leaving scratches.
In soda solution, the products should lie for about three hours. Then they need to be placed in another solution for ten minutes. To prepare the second solution, you will need a liter of water and one tablespoon of table vinegar. After the product, rinse thoroughly under warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
You can wash the crystal with a regular detergent, which is suitable for washing dishes. But you need to do this correctly. In a basin with warm water, you should add a dishwashing gel, then beat everything until lush foam appears. Dip crystal products into this soapy solution and wash with a foam sponge. After do not forget to rinse the product under warm water and dry thoroughly.
Regular starch will also help clean the crystal goblets to shine. Wet the product with water, apply a small amount of starch to a soft cloth or sponge and gently proceed with cleaning. Then you can polish the product with a woolen cloth.
This simple, but effective way will not only help restore the shine to the crystal, but also save the product from stains that suddenly appear.
Care Rules
Crystal glassware requires special care. Only with proper care, crystal products will please you for many years with their beauty and pristine splendor.
It is important to remember that Crystal can only be washed in warm water. Water temperature should be from 30 to 40 degrees, not more. This is best done with cotton fabric gloves. If you intend to wash products without gloves, then do not forget to remove the rings and bracelets, otherwise you can irreparably ruin objects made of crystal.
So, draw warm water into the basin, be sure to lay a soft cloth on the bottom to avoid cracks or scratches. After finishing with the wash, immediately wipe the crystal products dry.
Remember that it is better to wash the crystal with a foam sponge, and wipe it with a soft cloth.
Tips
Now you know how to properly care for crystal and with what means it is better to wash it. As you can see, it is easy to restore crystal to its former luster at home. In the end, I would like to share a few more secrets, which will surely help all those in whose house there are crystal products:
- Crystal should not be washed in too hot water. Gloss disappears from this and cracks appear on the product;
- Too cold water also harms crystal, depriving it of its luster;
- Never use abrasive detergents for washing dishes, they will damage the surface of the product, leaving scratches;
- To avoid fingerprints on the products, wipe the crystal with cotton gloves;
- If you use antistatic sprays, then dust on a crystal chandelier will appear much less often.
For more tips on cleaning crystal, see the next video.