Many people consider crystal glassware to be an item of luxury and sophistication, which is why it is present on almost every holiday table. People with good material income prefer to decorate their home with chandeliers made of such glass. It has increased density due to the presence of lead oxide, but remains just as fragile. For this reason, crystal must be washed with extreme caution so as not to damage its integrity.
Rules of care
The durability and beauty of the appearance of objects made from such material largely depends on the owner’s compliance with the basic principles of crystal care:
- Do not place the glasses too close to each other. If they stick together and you try to tear them apart, they will burst. To safely separate, you need to fill one glass with warm water and the second with cool water. After a while they will peel off easily;
- wash crystal dishes in water whose temperature is between 20-35 degrees;
Important! When an object is frequently cleaned in cold water, the glass becomes cloudy, yellowing appears and the ringing disappears. It will burst quickly in hot water.
- Before the procedure, cover the bottom of the container with a towel. This will prevent possible breaking of objects;
- To avoid damaging the glass, when cleaning crystal, it is recommended to remove the rings from your fingers, use a non-abrasive cleaning agent and soft sponges;
- wash crystal glasses by holding them by the bottom, not by the stems;
- Products made from premium quality materials, as well as those with gold-plated designs or edging, should not be cleaned in the dishwasher. Due to vibration and contact with other utensils, they may crack;
- After washing, items must be rinsed with clean water and wiped well with a soft cotton towel. This will prevent streaks from occurring;
- to restore shine, wipe the item with a lint-free cloth soaked in alcohol;
- It is not recommended to wash crystal glassware with soap. A film forms on its surface that blocks the refraction of light, which prevents the object from emitting radiance;
- do not touch the crystal with your hands unless necessary, so that sebum does not accumulate on its surface;
- tightly close the doors of cabinets and boxes with dishes, which will help reduce the amount of dust settling on them.
By following these simple rules, you can maintain the grace and brilliance of lead-silicate glass items for a long time.
General cleaning recommendations
When starting to clean crystal products, you should consider:
- Deep (“pot-bellied”) glasses with thin, high stems are especially fragile. When washing, hold them by the bottom, placing the base of the stem between your fingers. This is the easiest way to prevent a breakdown.
- Cover the bottom of the sink or basin in which washing is planned with a soft, clean cloth. It will help prevent fragile glass from breaking.
- Wash products with cool water. Hot water spoils the surface of the crystal, it becomes cloudy and covered with small cracks.
- It is very easy to scratch delicate glass. When cleaning, do not use brushes with hard bristles or cleaning powders.
- Wash crystal with liquid detergents using a soft cloth or sponge. For deep curves, you can use a brush with soft bristles (preferably natural).
Products for shine and shine
Housewives want their glasses, vases and chandeliers not to be clean, but to radiate shine. The following products can be used to treat objects after washing to restore the shine of crystal:
- water-alcohol aerosol. Shake the can well and spray the product over the entire surface of the product;
- medical alcohol. Treat the item with a cloth soaked in alcohol and wipe dry;
- vinegar. Wash the crystal, rinse it in a water-vinegar solution (1 tablespoon of seasoning per 1 liter of water) and dry well with a napkin;
- ammonia. The cleaned product should be left for 10 minutes. in a solution prepared from water and alcohol mixed in a concentration of 1:3. After the time has passed, wipe the item dry;
- washing gel “For crystal”. It is recommended to dilute the product with water and leave the product in it for 5 minutes, and then wipe it well. The price of such a gel is high, but its composition is almost no different from soft glass cleaning products.
Important! It is not recommended to use such solutions if there are metal parts on crystal glassware or a chandelier. This may cause corrosion.
How to clean crystal at home
- Grate a small amount of laundry soap and fill it with medical alcohol;
- After the soap shavings have completely dissolved, lower the silver item into the solution;
- Wait 20-30 minutes and remove;
- Rinse it under running water and rub it with a small piece of woolen cloth.
The dishwasher can rinse dishes until they squeak. After cleaning, the glasses will not be cloudy. The main thing is to choose the right temperature and the appropriate program.
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Features of washing in a dishwasher
It is not recommended to use such household appliances for cleaning crystal, as there is a high risk of damage and loss of shine due to temperature changes. If your dishes are made of thicker glass, which contains barium, and the dishwasher has a “Delicate Wash” function, then it is recommended to carry out the procedure according to the following rules:
- add a crystal cleaner that does not contain abrasive substances (gel);
- do not place the dishes too close to each other;
- Set the washing mode to delicate.
Important! You can wash crystal in the dishwasher only if it does not contain lead oxide. By reacting with the detergent, the chemical compound will cause the glass to become cloudy.
Quality mark
No matter what crystal the vase is made from, it still needs to be properly cared for. The highest quality and unimaginably beautiful products are made from Czech crystal. It has a high light dispersion coefficient and looks great. Previously, there was a real hunt for these products. Women stormed stores in search of an unusual flowerpot.
This crystal flower vase proudly decorates any room in a classic style. Rococo and Baroque also cannot do without such a radiant companion.
The use of folk remedies
You can notice contamination of crystal objects shortly before guests arrive. In this case, special detergents may not be at hand. Folk remedies will help you clean crystal at home; they also effectively remove various types of contaminants from its surface.
Potato boiling water
The procedure involves performing the following actions:
- boil 2 unpeeled potatoes;
- drain the water into a separate container and cool it to 35 degrees;
- soak the dishes for 5-15 minutes;
- rinse with purified water;
- wipe well.
Potato water effectively cleans this type of glass from dust, grease, wine stains and cloudiness.
Vinegar or citric acid
These substances are good at removing various contaminants and restoring shine to objects. You can wash your crystal to make it shine in the following way:
- dilute 1 tbsp. vinegar or citric acid in 1 liter of water;
- wipe the dishes with a soft sponge soaked in the solution;
- dry the items with a clean cotton towel.
Vinegar and baking soda
You can wash crystal from stains of various natures by soaking objects in solutions of vinegar and soda:
- stir 1 tbsp in 1 liter of warm water. soda and place the dishes in the resulting solution for 3 hours;
- transfer items to a water-vinegar solution for 10 minutes;
- rinse them in clean water and dry well.
Important! The soda grains should be well dissolved in water so that there are no scratches on the crystal.
Vinegar solution and table salt
This combination cleans crystal objects well, the surface of which is heavily soiled. The washing process includes the following steps:
- prepare a solution of vinegar (1 tbsp), water (1 l) and salt (1/2 tbsp), stirring all components well;
- soak the dishes or vase for 30 minutes if the stain is very stubborn, or gently wipe the surface of the objects with a sponge soaked in the solution.
How to use crystal
- Before washing, the crystal is cleaned of dust, otherwise stains will remain. The ingrained dust is removed with a napkin sprinkled with starch.
- Wash crystal with gloves so that no fingerprints remain.
- Only lint-free fabrics are acceptable: cotton, linen, microfiber or soft sponge (metallic is prohibited).
- The washed crystal is wiped dry with a soft cloth immediately after the procedure. Otherwise, stains and streaks will remain.
- Only warm water (25–35 °C) is used. If it is hot, cracks will appear, yellowness will appear, and the ringing will disappear. Cold weather will cause tarnishing and cloudiness of the crystal.
- Manufacturers have begun to include gold or silver foil in their modern assortment. Products with gilding or silvering are beautiful, but vulnerable. They are washed only by hand, with clean warm water, and rinsed in a vinegar solution.
- A vinegar-salt solution is suitable for cleaning and rinsing crystal.
- The cleaning time is determined by the nature of the contamination.
Well, if you didn’t keep track and marks have already formed, then the above cleaning methods will come to your aid.
Methods for cleaning a chandelier
This type of interior decoration requires special care. Dirt on the chandelier elements does not transmit light well, so the room becomes dark, and the appearance of the lighting fixture loses its beauty. There are 2 ways to wash a crystal chandelier.
Regular method
This option is used when it is possible to remove individual parts. They need to be cleaned from dust with a brush, soaked for a while in a vinegar or alcohol solution, and then rinsed in clean water and rubbed well with a fiber cloth.
Important! Before the procedure, it is recommended to turn off the power to the chandelier.
Such actions help clean the crystal from soot and grease to a shine. To wash the non-removable part of the chandelier structure, use a soft cotton cloth soaked in one of the solutions. Then it is gently wiped with a dry towel.
After all the parts are dry, they can be reattached and treated with an antistatic agent, which will slow down the accumulation of dust on the surface of the chandelier.
Use of special means
If the design of the chandelier is solid, then you need to wash the crystal so that it shines with an aerosol. The procedure includes the following steps:
- turn off the power to the lighting fixture;
- lay a foam-absorbing material underneath the chandelier;
- spray a generous layer of aerosol onto contaminated parts;
- wait until it dries;
- turn on the lamps.
Important! With this cleaning method, there is no need to rinse and wipe the chandelier parts.
Variety of shapes
Today's glassblowers create unimaginable things from crystal. If previously only a few dozen versions of vases were made, now their number has exceeded thousands. The crystal vase has been transformed and appears in the form of amphoras, narrow flasks, spacious “basins”, jugs and bottles, outlines of animals and people. Various cuts and engravings allow you to create real works of art. Vases are painted with special paints and metallic coating is applied. Just as before, such products are considered signs of prosperity and good taste.
be careful
An excellent interior detail and a gift for a loved one is a crystal vase. Photos will help you choose the shape you like. The purpose of such vases is very diverse. Vessels for flowers are a classic of the genre. Fruit vases and salad bowls look gorgeous on the holiday table. Add solemnity and chic to your feast by decorating it with crystal.
Such products must be handled with care. Do not clean them with chemicals. This will shorten their service life. Try using available tools. Vases will thank you for this with the most beautiful refractions and play of light.
Hot water is also the enemy of crystal products. It may begin to crumble and even crack. Then the vase will have to go in the trash.
Crystal glassware is usually passed down from generation to generation. Surely everyone has their grandmother's brilliant inheritance gathering dust in their closet. Give the vase a second life. Such products perfectly fill the void on a bedside table, table, or shelf. Often new, fashionable decorative elements are well-forgotten grandma's things. Look through your shelves and sideboards, and you will probably pull out the most beautiful crystal vases from there!
