How to clean crystal until it shines at home

In everyday life, crystal dishes are used infrequently, so they gradually become dull, covered with traces of yellowness and a dense whitish coating. The question arises of how to clean crystal at home, preferably quickly, efficiently and with minimal time.

Coping with these phenomena is not as difficult as it seems, you just need to choose the right remedy. With the right approach, you can achieve an attractive shine and clear ringing even from the most inexpensive and old product.

In order not to harm capricious objects, you need to take into account the basic rules for caring for crystal:

The material is negatively affected by temperature changes, and from such exposure it becomes even more fragile.
Regardless of the means used to clean the crystal, use lukewarm water, no higher than 35ºC.
Dishes, a chandelier or a crystal vase should not be left to dry naturally; streaks and stains will remain on the surface. Clean items are wiped dry with towels or microfiber cloths; this material does not leave lint.

Advice

To avoid much hassle, crystal can also be washed in the dishwasher. But this permit only applies to not very expensive products without persistent plaque or yellowness. This approach is recommended to be used if you need to wash items after a feast or wash away fresh dirt.

We choose the appropriate product based on the type of contamination

Before washing crystal using one of the “grandmother’s” methods, it is worth considering that powder compositions that scratch the surface of the glass, and soap solutions (they leave behind a matte coating) are absolutely not suitable for this manipulation.

To wash away dust and renew a crystal vase or tableware, you need to use a specialized glass cleaner. We take a basin, it is better if it is made of plastic, line it with a soft cloth, pour in a concentrated solution and carefully immerse the crystal products. Leave the container for several hours. Then we take a soft cloth and clean all the grooves and elements of the objects. To create a beautiful shine, the crystal must be rinsed in water with the addition of vinegar, citric acid or ammonia.
To wash off the plaque that often covers a crystal vase due to constant exposure to hard water, you need to use a solution of organic acid. At home, acetic, citric or oxalic acid is most often used. We dilute the selected product with water until a solution is formed; it should be slightly acidic. Place the dishes in the composition and leave them for several hours. After this, add half a glass of rice or peas to the container (you can get by with potato peelings), cover with a lid and begin to shake. After removing dirt, rinse the products with lukewarm water.
The most persistent stain is limescale. It adheres to the crystal so tightly that during the removal process it can provoke the formation of scratches. To prevent this, you need to wash the dishes with Coca-Cola or its carbonated analogues. Just pour the drink, leave it for a few minutes and rinse with warm water.This approach is also effective for red wine stains.
A vase covered with blooming greenery will be saved by baking soda. Pour warm water into the container and add baking soda powder at the rate of one tablespoon of product per half glass of liquid. We wait a few minutes, cover the neck and vigorously shake the product several times. After such treatment, be sure to rinse the vase with a weak solution of vinegar.

The most difficult thing to deal with is carved surfaces. The same rules apply here, you just need to additionally involve mechanical processing, during which microfiber is used.

Specifics of cleaning crystal chandeliers

To wash dirt from a crystal chandelier, it is not necessary to remove the product or disassemble it into parts. To carry out the manipulation, it is not recommended to use the listed folk remedies; it is better to purchase a specialized product. It is applied liberally to the product, and several towels need to be laid out on the floor, onto which excess product will drip. After a certain time, we wipe the parts of the object and wash them with clean water.

As a last resort, a chandelier, and other crystal glassware, can be washed with ammonia. In a large bowl of warm water, dilute half a glass of alcohol, mustard powder and vinegar. The aggressive and not very attractive-looking mixture is absolutely harmless to glass and can eliminate any degree of contamination. It is used for soaking or wiping products and then rinsing them.