Christmas is just around the corner – sparkling glass tableware will be a beautiful decoration for your festive table. We'll tell you how and with what to polish glass, how to restore its shine and remove limescale and sediment, and how to care for dishes so they don't dull or scratch.
Highly polished glass will add magic to Christmas and other special occasions
The approaching Christmas is often one of the few opportunities during the year when the whole family can gather for a festive dinner and spend time together. That's why it's so important to emphasize the uniqueness of these moments with festive decorations that will bring a solemn atmosphere to our homes. Elegant tableware is an indispensable element of festive gatherings, and glass, beautifully sparkling in candlelight, is undoubtedly an atmospheric table decoration. Glasses and other glass dishes will look spectacular, as long as we take care to avoid smudges and streaks beforehand. For special occasions, it is worth choosing tableware items that are not scratched or dull. Well-maintained, highly polished glass is a sign of attention to detail and an expression of good taste. In hotels and good restaurants, where the impeccable appearance of glass is extremely important, special machines are often used to polish plates, cutlery, and glasses. However, manual glass polishing at home is completely sufficient to refresh the tableware and make it look very chic.
How to care for glass tableware so that it doesn't dull, and is free of scratches, limescale, and sediment?
Scratches on glass are very difficult to remove. In this case, the well-known saying "prevention is better than cure" works best. Therefore, you should take care that the glass does not scratch. First of all, glass tableware should not be cleaned with overly rough sponges or cloths – this is the most common cause of scratches. A home remedy for scratches on glass is whitening toothpaste, which should be applied to a suitable cloth and rubbed into the scratch for a few minutes. However, this method will only work for truly minor and very shallow scratches. More serious scratches cannot be removed from tableware. However, home remedies are more effective in removing limescale or dried-on sediment. Wiping the glass with a towel soaked in vinegar or wrapping the dish with it for a few minutes perfectly removes limescale and refreshes the glass. All dishes cleaned by us should then be thoroughly washed with running water, which will help remove the smell of vinegar. You can also prevent glass from dulling, which is caused by long and regular contact of the material with hot water. Therefore, when washing glass by hand, you should use warm, not hot water. Many glass dishes, especially those made of crystal glass and handmade, should not be cleaned in a dishwasher. The packaging of KROSNO brand products contains information on whether a given dish can be washed in a dishwasher. However, it is important to carefully place the glass in it and to use mild detergents and rinsing aids. Slightly dull glass can be restored to its shine by soaking it for several hours in water with plenty of lemon peel or a few drops of ammonia. After this treatment, the tableware should be washed with dish soap, thoroughly rinsed with cold water, and carefully polished.
What to polish glass with?
Polishing glass is a simple and reliable way to give it shine, remove any streaks, and also smudges formed during washing. However, this requires appropriate tools and proper technique. Glass tableware is best polished with a very slightly dampened microfiber cloth, chamois leather, or possibly high-quality cotton. The material should not fray, and the polishing cloth must be absolutely clean – even the slightest dirt can cause unsightly streaks. Cloths should be washed separately and at a low temperature, in water without added starch and fabric softeners. For automatic washing, it is worth using liquids designed for washing microfiber. As an alternative, low-temperature washing liquids, preferably hypoallergenic, will also work.
How to polish glass?
It's best to wait a while after washing the glass, until the dishes dry on their own, before polishing. In movies, you can sometimes see bartenders holding glasses up to the light, breathing on them, and only then starting to polish. However, it will be more hygienic to uniformly moisten the tableware with hot steam. For this purpose, place the glass over a pot or kettle for a very short time. When polishing glass, try not to touch the dishes with bare hands – otherwise, fingerprints may be left on them. The best way to polish glass tableware is to rub it with soft, circular motions, starting from the inside. Usually, the larger and flatter the dish, the easier the operation. Polishing wine glasses requires the most work and attention. The order of polishing is important here: first the bowl, then the base, and only then the stem of the glass. To minimize the risk of breakage, hold the glass by the base while wiping. First, insert the cloth into the glass and polish it thoroughly with circular movements, and then deal with the outer side of the bowl. It is important to thoroughly clean the bottom of the glass, because that is where sediment usually collects. Cleaning glasses with a very slender bowl – for example, for champagne – is more difficult, and it is worth exercising particular caution to avoid accidentally breaking the glass. Starting from the corner, spirally insert the cloth into the dish. After polishing, check for any marks or smudges on the glass by holding it up to the light.
Once the preparations for the festive table are complete, it's time to celebrate and experience beautiful moments spent together.