TOP 10 tools to clean crystal at home to shine
Crystal glassware is an item of luxury and good taste. How to ensure that your favorite glasses do not lose their beautiful shine, how to clean crystal properly? A pressing question for most housewives. It is possible to achieve "crispy" cleanliness at home, using improvised means. To add shine, you can use regular ammonia. Consider the intricacies of using folk remedies and the rules for caring for your favorite crystal.
Features
An important characteristic of crystal glassware is fragility. One careless move and your favorite glass crumbles into small pieces.
When cleaning delicate dishes, we recommend:
- avoid sudden temperature drops when washing, the water should not be very hot or icy;
- when washing glasses, hold them from below - this arrangement of hands is the most convenient and will protect the product from accidental falling;
- the secret of our grandmothers: when washing crystal, spread a soft cloth or towel at the bottom of the sink or basin;
- after cleaning, rinse the dishes and dry them with a soft cotton towel.
To make it easier for you to work with heavy dirt, crystal dishes are pre-soaked in warm water with soapy water.
Rules of care
Caring for your crystal will make routine cleaning of delicate items easier. Tips for maintaining crystal glassware:
- store glasses in closed sideboards, less dust accumulates there;
- after washing and using the dishes, wipe them dry;
- do not stack products on top of each other to avoid damage;
- never reheat food in a crystal dish, microcracks will form in it;
- crystal dishes are not suitable for hot dishes.
These recommendations will help you extend the life of your favorite crystal and decorative items made from it.
How to clean various contaminants at home
The method of removing various stains from the crystal depends on the type of contamination.
Cloudiness
An unpleasant coating that prevents you from enjoying the sparkle and luxury of crystal. At home, there are two ways to eliminate cloudiness:
- starch dry cleaning;
- the use of fine salt.
Dry starch is applied to a clean cloth napkin and dirt is rubbed with it. It is not necessary to add water. After the end of the procedure, the dishes are rinsed with hot soapy water and dried. When cleaning with salt, the dishes must be damp. Rub the salt gently and slowly, as it can scratch the product. After cleaning, the crystal is rinsed and wiped dry.
Dust
The dust is not difficult to deal with. First, it is brushed off the crystal with a dry cloth, then the items are immersed in a basin of warm water with dissolved laundry soap. After 15 minutes, the dishes are taken out, rinsed and wiped with a soft cloth.
Important! Do not use high-pile fabrics to wipe clothes. Small pellets and lint will remain on the dishes and spoil its appearance.
Traces of juice, wine
You can remove these stains with gel dish soap or warm soapy water.
Important! Do not use baking soda. Products will lose shine and darken noticeably.
Yellow color
On the old crystal, the plate becomes yellowish. A proven folk remedy is to peel fresh potatoes. The vegetable is grated and the dishes are cleaned with it. Potato starch adds extra shine to products and completely eliminates yellowness. After cleaning is complete, items are rinsed in blue solution and dried.
Plate at the bottom
White bloom indoors is a problem with deep glasses. It is difficult to reach the plate with a brush, so it is better to soak the dishes. To do this, you can use a very carbonated drink, such as Coca-Cola. Soda is poured into a glass and left for 30-40 minutes, then the dishes are rinsed.
Fat
Grease can be washed off with laundry soap or dish detergent. Products are soaked in a warm solution of laundry soap, complex stains are rubbed with an old toothbrush.
Other species
To clean other types of dirt, you can use a vinegar solution in the ratio: 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 liter of water.Dishes can be dipped in this solution, but if the parts are gilded, the composition is applied with a cotton swab or a disk, carefully, without touching delicate areas.
Brilliant Products
Properly washed crystal becomes transparent. How to add shine to your favorite items? It is particularly difficult to achieve a glitter effect on corrugated cardboard objects. Consider a number of folk remedies.
Ammonia
To make the crystal shine like new, use ammonia. The product has a pronounced unpleasant pungent odor; it is necessary to work with it carefully, with gloves. Alcohol is applied to a paper towel and the products are wiped off. Corrugated parts are wiped with cotton swabs dipped in this product.
vinegar solution
A proven antiseptic - vinegar, is able to give shine even to old crystal. Clean glasses are soaked in a solution of vinegar or citric acid, which will give the dishes a fresh and pleasant aroma.
Detergent, chalk and blue
Most dishwashing detergents are suitable for cleaning crystal. It is important that these products do not contain abrasive particles that could scratch the surface of the lenses. Gel products are excellent.
With a solution of chalk and blue, you can quickly clean the crystal and restore its shine: dissolve 2 tablespoons of chalk in 1 liter of water and add a quarter of a teaspoon of blue. Dishes are soaked in a warm solution for 15 minutes, then rinsed under running water. The crisp clarity and gorgeous shine of your favorite eyewear is guaranteed.
Is it dishwasher safe
A dishwasher is a household appliance designed to facilitate the daily work of the hostess. The crystal glass is dishwasher safe.There are a number of factors to consider:
- set a program for delicate dishwashing or a mode for crystal cleaning;
- you can not use a mode with sharp temperature changes;
- detergents choose gel, without solid cleaning elements;
- the crystal must be made of barium.
The dishes must be loaded correctly in the machine so that the dripping water does not crush fragile objects which could break.
What not to use
When cleaning crystal, do not use materials that can damage fragile coatings. This applies to both cleaning products and cleaning tools.
A soda
Many housewives believe that using baking soda can remove all types of impurities. This is not entirely true - soda is destructive to crystal. The glasses, peeled with soda, lose their shine and their transparency, darken noticeably.
Replace baking soda with dry starch or citric acid. All of these products are available and will not harm your favorite dishes.
Melamine sponge
There are some in the arsenal of every hostess. Using a melamine sponge, they remove dirt from various surfaces, floors and even shoes. When cleaning the crystal, it is best to use a soft cloth or cotton-based fabrics. These devices are environmentally friendly, do not leave granules and fluff on clean dishes.
abrasives
Preparations containing small grains - abrasive substances - can leave scratches on the crystal. Damaged products will struggle to regain their shine.When working on delicate surfaces, various aqueous solutions, alcohol and gel products are used. Do not use powders and coarse salt.
What are the right tools
The more uniform the consistency of the product, the better it is for cleaning the crystal. Avoid baking soda and various powders containing crystal fractions.
Favorite gel dishwashing detergent
Every modern housewife has a favorite gel dishwashing detergent. It does not damage the hands, which means it should not damage the crystal either. You can apply the medicine to the dishes with a soft cloth or with your hands. Then the products should be rinsed with warm running water.
Window cleaner
Fights streaks, adds shine and glides on easily. As a rule, the substance comes in the form of a spray and contains ammonia. A small amount of the product is applied to the glasses and wiped off. A pleasant residual smell is a plus for the use of the product. The ammonia included in the composition additionally disinfects the dishes.
Ethanol
Disinfect products. With a cotton swab soaked in vodka or ethyl alcohol, you can get rid of contamination from the grooved areas. After cleaning with alcohol, it is not necessary to rinse the dishes additionally.
Organic acids
Citric or malic acid are proven remedies for removing stubborn, stubborn dirt on the crystal.
Extra shine and a pleasant smell are provided after the treatment of dishes. The dirt quickly disappears and an additional antiseptic effect is achieved.
Saline solution
You can clean dirt with salt. You can not rub the crystal with dry salt - scratches will appear. It is better to dissolve table salt in water in the following ratio: for 1 liter of water - 4 tablespoons of salt.Products are immersed in the solution for 15-20 minutes, rinsed and wiped dry.
Starch
Dry potato starch will remove yellowing and plaque from glasses. Dry powder is applied to the products, and the dishes are wiped with until the characteristic squeak. After using the product, rinse the dishes.
Mustard powder
A gentle and environmentally friendly product without abrasive particles, suitable for cleaning delicate crystal products. It can be used by dissolving the powder in water. Contaminated products are immersed in the solution for 15 minutes, scrubbed with a soft toothbrush, rinsed and dried.
How to clean properly
The classic design of crystal glassware - many notches and grooves on the surface of the products. To make it easier for you to clean the crystal, it is recommended to pre-soak it in lukewarm water.
Algorithm for washing crystal dishes:
- Prepare the work plan and the materials: basin, lukewarm water, brushes and cleaning products.
- The crystal work is done without fuss, cleanly.
- It is recommended to wear gloves.
- The bottom of the sink or washbasin is covered with a soft cloth.
- Dishes treated with organic acid are wiped dry, not just dried.
- The remaining cleaning products are washed off with warm water.
The choice of a crystal flushing agent depends on the type of contamination. Take your time - washing fragile dishes takes inspiration and peace of mind.
Chandelier Cleaning Features
A luxurious piece of furniture - a crystal chandelier - needs cleaning over time. The glass loses its shine, dust settles on the product elements. It is difficult to qualitatively clean the lamp without removing it.Therefore, the work of cleaning the chandelier begins with its dismantling.
With removable parts and decorations
All crystalline elements are removed and immersed in a hot saline or citric acid solution. If there is gilding on the coins, it is better not to use acid and vinegar. After 30 minutes, the chandelier elements are removed, wiped and dried.
To avoid rapid dust deposition, antistatic agents are used. The assembly of the chandelier is carried out with gloves so that there are no fingerprints on the clean elements.
Not removable
The main difficulty is to apply the product evenly on the object to be cleaned. You will need a stepladder and willpower - the work will be laborious.
Rinsing starts from top to bottom. In household chemical stores, you can buy a rag glove, with the help of which it will be more convenient to handle the parts of the chandelier. After major stains and dirt are removed, the gloss is wiped down with ammonia to add shine.
Be careful at all stages of cleaning the chandelier. Crystal is a fragile material that breaks easily with careless movements.
Useful tips
Crystal washing is time consuming and requires care. To make it easier for you, you can use a few tricks:
- Dry and wipe after use.
- Use disinfectant products.
- Do not use powder that can scratch the product when cleaning.
- Do not wash the crystal with hot water or scald it with boiling water.
- Do not use long nap cloths.
With proper crystal use and care, the products will become a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation, and adorn the homes of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.