Hard water stains may becleaned by soaking in vinegar, but etching is unfortunately permanent.
Here’s how to determine the cause and prevent it from happening in the first place.
Why Are My Glasses Cloudy?
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
There are two primary causes of glassware cloudiness: hard water and etching.
Etching refers to permanent erosion of glassware and has multiple causes.
The “vinegar method” is a simple test that reveals whether cloudiness if from hard water or etching.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Soak your glassware in vinegar for five minutes.
If the cloudy film disappears, it was due to hard water.
If the film remains, it’s due to etching and is permanent.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
The problem with hard water is twofold.
Paradoxically, adding too much detergent with hard water only compounds the rinsing problem.
Second, the minerals in hard water can dry onto the surface of glassware, creating a cloudy film.
Dishwasher boosters can be added to the pre-wash cycle to remove hard water spots.
This solution is great because it can work with any old washing machine.
Use a Rinse Aid
Rinse aidscome in solid and liquid forms.
They help reduce spotting and etching by breaking the bond between water and the dishes.
Most rinse aids are added with each dishwashing load.
Put a candy thermometer in a glass and run water into the glass to measure your incoming water temperature.
Use Less Detergent
This is especially true if you have soft water.
Try a milder detergent (with a lower pH number) or a detergent without phosphates.
