Get Those Cloudy Glasses Clean

The first big holiday is done and it's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is all gone and so is all that turkey and stuffing. You might have washed all the holiday stemware but quite possibly you are not thrilled with how the stemware and glasses look after being washed in the dishwasher.  

Are your glasses coming out of your dishwasher cloudy? No, it's not your eyes playing tricks on you before your morning cup of coffee, the glasses can be cloudy. What might cause this is such a simple fix—you will be astounded. With anything, time and usage can take its toll on your dishwasher, but with some simple tips and tricks you can keep time on your side and keep your dishwasher free of mineral deposits.  

Your stemware might sill have fingerprints or cloudiness on it, and that is what I would like to help you with today.  I can't tell you how many service calls we go out on and are asked about how to get rid of cloudiness. We have found much success in using a particular product called AFFRESH. We carry this in our Don's Appliance stores and you can purchase it at many home improvement centers.  

WHAT CAUSES CLOUDY GLASSES (a possible cause) Hard water contains a high mineral content including but not limited to: magnesium, and calcium and other metals. These minerals and metals cling to glassware and that is why you might see cloudiness on the glasses.  

While I was getting ready to prepare this article, I thought about the a few solutions that our customers have tried before to cure cloudiness from glasses, here are a few that came to mind quickly, however, these would not be the preferred treatment for curing cloudy glasses. 

1) Acquire some cheap toothpaste from the Dollar Store, scrub it all over the glass with a 'soft' brush and then rinse, it is possible you will see a difference with this homemade cheap remedy, however it may be only very temporary. (Number 3 is what we use and recommend)

2) Fill your sink basin with water (enough that the head of a glass can easily soak) and a few caps of ammonia(not too much and make sure you have a bit of ventilation as the fumes are strong). Let the glassware soak in this mixture for 1/2 of an hour, rinse well and dry.  

3) My personal favorite because it requires no scrubbing, no additional cleaning, no additional drying just simple monthly maintenance: AFFRESH.  Affresh will rid minerals and keep your glasses cloud free.

AFFRESH is a solution that is in tablet form (6 to a pack) and should be used once a month in your dishwasher. Affresh will dissolve mineral build-up, and you will see cleaner looking glasses because of no metal build-up.

 
The tablets are very simple to use and they are available for regular dishwashers as well as high-efficiency dishwashers alike.  

1) You will need an empty dishwasher  2) Mark your calendar each month so you remember to do this  3) Add one Affresh tablet to your detergent tray and then run your dishwasher through a normal dish-washing cycle.  4) If there is a lot of build-up and you can see actually see the build-up it is suggested to place a second tablet at the bottom of the dishwasher basin., 5) Press your start button and let Affresh Clean your dishwasher.  6) Once this is done, you are able to carry on as usual, loading dirty dishes into your dishwasher and glasses. 

This is one step WONDERFUL!!!  Our customers love this method of keeping their dishwashers mineral and metal free and it is suggested for anyone that owns a dishwasher.  

All recommendations, thoughts, ideas and expressions within our postings are based upon our years of experience in the appliance industry and we are more than happy to share them with you.  Please take these and use them at your discretion. Don’s Appliances and Hillmon Appliance Distributors will not be held liable for any incident or injury that may be caused as a result.