Eater Sundae Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 We have various wine glasses from various sources. Some given to us and some bought, mostly cheap. We just run them through the dishwasher between use. Over months and years some have become dull, with a matt grey finish, but some haven't - they are still as good as new. It got me wondering - when buying glasses, is there some way of knowing how well they would cope with dishwashers? is there something in the chemical composition of the glass that determines whether they dull or not? Is there something that we can look for on the labelling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimalJay Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Mental note, always buy the best crystal cut glassware you can afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eater Sundae Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Mental note, always buy the best crystal cut glassware you can afford. Why? Are you saying that the "best" crystal cut glassware will not dull in a dishwasher? ...and how do you recognise the best? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fake Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Not all glass has the same ingredients so that could make a difference over time when washing in a dishwasher. Personally I would not recommend putting any cut crystal glassware in a dishwasher and would wash it by hand in some warm soapy water. As for recognising the best there are a few ways. The more expensive glassware is normally heavier as it usually contains higher amounts of lead oxide when made. That ingredient makes the glass clearer and brighter and makes it less brittle so when the cutting or grinding is carried out it the piece wont shatter. The expensive stuff is usually hand blown and assembled and not moulded which means that each pieces may differ slightly. The edges of the cuts on the more expensive stuff will be more angular compared to cheaper glassware which will have more rounded edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat86 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 What annoys me is, I have some gorgeous wine glasses/and have had some in the past. Expensive, beautiful. And I have some cheap £3 for 6 ones from morrisons Why is it, that the expensive ones are always the ones I manage to break...! I dont have a full set of any of my nice ones anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llamatron Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 What annoys me is, I have some gorgeous wine glasses/and have had some in the past. Expensive, beautiful. And I have some cheap £3 for 6 ones from morrisons Why is it, that the expensive ones are always the ones I manage to break...! I dont have a full set of any of my nice ones anymore In my case its because the cheap ones stay in a cupboard and don't get used. It doesn't matter though what you have is a lovely collection of individual wine glasses:thumbsup: Make it a feature! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barleycorn Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 You could try putting some rinse aid in your dishwasher. jb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eater Sundae Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 The glasses I'm talking about are not cut crystal or anything like that, they are plain bowl shapes with stems. We don't use any sort of rinse aid, so that's not a factor. It's just that some glasses become dull and some stay bright, so I'm trying to identify some means of knowing up front what might cause some to become dull whereas others do not, so that in future we might buy those that do not. It's not a big issue if they do dull, as they were never expensive in the first place, its just that all other things being equal we would prefer buying ones that don't become dull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrimalJay Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Why? Are you saying that the "best" crystal cut glassware will not dull in a dishwasher? ...and how do you recognise the best? I was only pulling your leg, what ever next, putting your best China in the dishwasher lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barleycorn Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Wiki to the rescue. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher#Hazing_of_glassware As stated up thread better quality glasses contain more lead oxide and contrary to what you might think this makes them go hazy faster than cheapo glasses. Lead crystal should not be cleaned in a dishwasher as the corrosive effect of dishwasher detergent is high on such types of glass—that is, it will quickly go 'cloudy'. In addition, the lead in the crystal glass can be converted into a soluble form, which could endanger the health of subsequent users That said you should check whether the hazyness can be removed by rinsing with vinegar or lemon juice. If it can then you need to top up the salt in your dishwasher. jb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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