Can crystal be washed in the dishwasher: how not to spoil my mother’s vases?

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.

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.

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:

Washing mode. An ideal option if the dishwasher already has a “Crystal” or “Delicate” mode. If not, then I advise you to choose a mode in which the water will not be hotter than 40 degrees. This will help the crystal remain clear and sparkling.
Detergent. I recommend using only liquid preparations, as they gently wash dishes and do not cause scratches or abrasions.
Bookmark in the typewriter. Crystal should be washed separately from other dishes, while vases and glasses should be placed at a distance from each other and carefully fixed using special stands or silicone holders. If there are pieces of food on the dishes, they must be carefully cleaned off before serving.
Frequency of washing. For me personally, a dishwasher is a kind of preventative measure; I wash crystal in it about once every six months, the rest of the time I prefer hand washing in cool water. If you use such dishes constantly, then even in this case I advise you to wash them by hand, since vibration and strong water pressure in the machine will not benefit the delicate material.

So, my advice is to wash crystal products in the dishwasher, but do not forget about the recommendations described above. Thanks to this, you will not spoil valuable things; they will delight you and your loved ones for many years.

Svetlana Kotova, housewife