7 Ways To Clean Cloudy Glassware

I could be way off, but I have some cereal bowls that look just like your plates. I've been told it's the dishwasher that made them cloudy and nothing can be done about it. It's like the cloudiness is etched into the glass. Bummer....

How funny that you ended up with shiny, cloudy dishes. Such a paradox but I see what you mean. haha

I think they have been subjected to high heat-probably in a dishwasher with a heating element and the glass is clouded all the way through-damaged. How about painting them? Either that or just use them to serve people with cataracts...that way they won't notice....please, please, please don't send me hate mail....I KNOW cataracts are not funny--- I am just wicked. xo Diana

Crafts to the rescue - just paint them or decoupage them...doesn't look like there is anything that will change the cloudy appearance. Somehow the dishwasher does this to glassware, especially in hard water areas. Sigh.

Try LemiShine (sold next to dishwasher soap). It took the cloudy stuff off my cheapo wine glasses - they are clear as a bell now! Mix it in with your dishwasher soap, all your dishes will be super clean and very shiny. If you'd rather, LemiShine also makes a liquid to replace Jet Dry that works like a charm as well. (I use all of it as we have super hard water.)

The frog planter? We had one of those when I was younger, and it was a storage spot for the kitchen sponge. :)

Are they slightly green? They could be very special! Look up "Uranium Glass"

Hi Kim, not sure if you researched it or not but I think the beaded plates are a pattern called candlewick. My mom used to have some and many years ago she gave hers to my niece who also had pieces of the same pattern. I was going to guess dishwasher too. I don't have any suggestions for how to clear it but I do have a couple of craft suggestions. You can get a cream to etch glass, usually you would leave part of the design without etching so the contrast would show but I think that you could etch the entire plate to cover up the dishwasher etching and maybe they would look frosted. My other suggestion is glass paint. Gallery glass made by Plaid has a paint that you put on glass and it looks like stained glass. There is a thick paint that you can put between the colors to look like the leading on real stained glass and some of the colors are transparent and some are more opaque. It is has been a long time since I have used it but they used to come in a squeeze bottle so they were easy to use and they had instruction books with all kinds of designs that you could copy. I can picture some red tulips and green stems and leaves with an opaque white background....

Try the borax solution shown here:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/natural-homemade-streakfree-window-cleaners-78848.html
I cleaned all the windows in my house last year using this. I was getting tired of cleaning them, only to still have them look streaked and foggy. True, you have to go over them again with the vinegar/water solution, but boy oh boy did they sparkle!
Another trick listed on this page is toothpaste. Maybe try that first if you don't like the idea of borax.

I have no idea, but they look like how all our clear glasses get here. They are cloudy due to hard-water scratches. Those look vintage so I would not necessarily toss them. If they are big enough you can use them as a charger. I like to take the regular size plate and put a smaller china salad plate on it for a meal. I have some clear Ikea plates that I use this way. xoxo Su

Maybe they’re supposed to be that way...like frosted glass, you know? I’m really surprised vinegar didn’t work. Guess you’ll have to disguise it & paint over it. You’ll think of something clever.

I'm sorry darling bean! I have never laughed at a post this late in ages. the puppy in the next apartment even started barking. (they have fantastic hearing you know.)
I am still laughing! but when you spend a small fortune on thrift plates... well. it's primo stand up stuff! you should be on stage!
actually in this post I have just grown to love those little plates. they took your torture and they're still intact. that counts for something right there!
I would serve a special strawberry desert on them and call it "strawberry cloud." I would put the plates in the freezer or the fridge and let them chill before I put the strawberry cloud dessert on them. as they get less cool they will still LOOK like they're frosty! voila'! case closed! XOXO♥

Sorry Kim that you tried so many cleaners and nothing worked. Sounds like the consensus is that it was probably from the heat in a dishwasher. I bet if you painted them and then did some kind of art work on them they would be pretty cute. I am sure your crafty self will figure out something to do with them!!! Have a great week.
Hugs,
Kris

Maybe they are suppose to look like that. Did you try something as simple as Windex ? One of my favorite thrift shops uses a Sharpie to put prices on dishes. Finally, the lady who works there said Windex will take it off. Like magic. White vinegar rather than cider vinegar?
Love them for what they are- opaque.

Looks like Candlewick to me too . . .
I would have tried all your remedies . . .
They certainly must be “clean as a whistle . . .”
Recycle them back . . .
(Smiling . . . I can’t imagine you giving up!)

You have the patience of a saint. I would have flung them out the window in 20 minutes flat!!!!

Janexxxx

The plates are adorable with the beaded trim and it's too bad that you can't get rid of the cloudiness. I would guess the dishwasher has permanently etched them. I knew a lady who used her dishwasher even for her good dishes and her drinking glasses looked like milk had been left in them.

Hi Kim, sorry about the plate situation and I really don't have any tips either on how to get them to be clean and shiny. How about trying that LemiShine or just do a crafty with them. I hope you figure out the situation with the plates.
Julie

I have had a couple of cheap wine glasses come out of the dishwasher like that, and I tried just about everything you did to no avail. I have some of that LemiShine and plan to try that...I forgot I had it. I first heard about that from The Pioneer Woman! If all else fails, I'd spray-paint them!

Hugs,
Carol

I would try the nail polish remover, which is basically acetone, a universal solvent. That might work. If not, the plates are still cute!

My thinking is you just accept the imperfection and add a stain or metallic color to it and transform it. I use this stuff from DecoArt that really makes a difference it goes on anything. They're called Metallic Lustre and they also come in this beautiful pearl color.

That's a shame....I think I would have given up by now! At my house they would become saucers for under a plant at this point!

Oh, Kim, the first time I saw the plates I raised my hand and said, "I know Iknow"! I am so disappointed that most everyone knew too, the dreaded dishwasher. I bought some little beauties too, a little different pattern than yours, thought it was just dirt and grime so washed them and, like you said, when wet they were beautiful, but dry, the same. I just put them up in my old wavy glass windows and they look pretty anyway. From a distance you can't really tell..Yours are pretty ones though. Think about price not about quality!! You will think of something great, I am sure..Happy Thursday..xxoJudy

Never even heard of some of this stuff including Cerama Bryte

In my mind if Dawn Dish Detergent can't do it nothing can lol! You are quite persistent :) maybe they are supposed to be that way...if they are clean, use them :)

I bought a couple of glasses made in France in a thrift store. They were a bit cloudy so I decided to use and wash them a lot in the dishwasher. The rinse agent(JetDryRinse) is what I think did it but after a couple of years they were much clearer. However I think your plates are lost causes. Too much acid over the years. Older glass was susceptible I believe

The plates are adorable! Wish I knew what to suggest to get rid of the cloudiness, but maybe you could spray the back of them with a frosted glass paint?

What is that old Mary Engelbriet quote? - if you can't change something, change how you think about it...I think they are imperfectly pretty! Aren't we all? (:

I'm heading out thrifting later today and now with your tips I might choose something that otherwise I would have passed up.

What a great post, Kim! Thank you so much for sharing, my friend. Kisses!!!!!!!

My two go to cleaners are Lemi Shine for cloudy dishes and Stain Solver for baked on grease. Both work best with a good strong solution and patience, like soak them overnight patience. A few years ago I bought a set of used Jordan Pond House restaurant dishes covered in cloudy film. I knew underneath those years of dishwasher cloud were beautiful dishes. It took 3 soakings in Lemi Shine but they look brand new now. Nothing beats Stain Solver for baked on grease. You have to buy it online but I'm totally sold on how effortless it makes cleaning brown kitchen grease out of the metal stove filter. Just amazing how it worked.

I'm cracking up at your reaction to the woman's suggestion to take the plates into the bathroom! But I'm a rule follower too and I'd be afraid they'd think I was stealing it. The horror! Lol! I have no idea how to remove that film either. Sounds like you gave it the good ol' college try though. :)

That is a real bummer! I have two suggestions. Dishes washed in a dishwasher can get that cloudy film. Dishwasher use to have an ingredient that they took out to preserve the environment. Silly though, that you can buy that ingredient separately. It's called Lemi-shine. Add a little to the small compartment next to the detergent and it works wonders in taking off that film. I get it on my red handled utensils if I don't use Lemi shine. The other suggestion is to soak them in rubbing alcohol. Hope one of these work! Thanks for sharing with SYC. P.S. I can't break rules either!! :)
hugs,
Jann

I have a feeling you will paint or come up with something else and surprise us. :-) I do like them, they are unique designs.
Carla

I have absolutely no idea how to uncloud those gorgeous plates Kim but I'm 100% convinced you'll come up with something exquisitely remarkable.

Gee I'm stuck for ideas on what you could try. Maybe cut half a lemon in half and rub over the plates. Works wonders on cleaning grime of stainless steal.... A long shot I know but maybe worth a try? Those plates are just gorgeous by the way!

that's not cloudy film. it is in fact, the smooth finish of the glass has been etched off by dishwasher detergent. there is nothing that can be done about that- it's just gone- like a top layer of skin.

Wow this is impressive! Love the dishes now!

I am all for the glass etching. I have done so many cups, etc that were clear glass but muddy clear like your plates. I use the liquid etching and have rescued many glass things I would toss. It is so easy and fast and the patterns are endless...just an idea.

Well this is most enlightening! My first mistake was to put the glasses I was given in the dishwasher. After taking them out and finding them cloudy I tried the vinegar, denture cleaner and scrubbing. After reading your post and the replies, I soaked them in the rinse agent and then washed them again. I took a paper towel and rubbed some of the rinse agent and washed. After several times of this I could see a difference! Amazing! Thank you for sharing.

What I have learned is that I will never put fancy glassware in the dishwasher again. These are clear and pretty and ready to use.

Hilarious. Bought 12 of these for $1 each too, and have spent the last two months trying EVERY SINGLE THING except the rinse soak. Woman vs. plate. Simple right? Hahaha!!!!!

I randomly threw together some OxiClean, a couple splashes of white vinegar, and a few cups of boiling water, let glasses soak awhile, used a Brillo pad, and they seem to look better . . .

Hi Kim, The film on the glass is oxide from the lead used during production and like a lead pipe it corrodes over time. Your plates are from the 1930's or there abouts so nearly 100 years old and showing their age. The only way to get this off is to polish it out. You could try this yourself with an electric drill and polishing pad adding various grades of grit until you get down to jewelers rouge or just take them to a local glass blower and they will polish them for you using a fluffy wheel with white wash. It shouldn't cost a lot. Good luck and don't waste your time and money on chemicals.

Hi, I have 12 dinner plates from my mother in law and I used them for Christmas. Four plates became cloudy like that and the rest of them stayed clear. I can't believe it. I have a complete set of 12 with all the accessories and the rest hand washed beautiful. I hope someone has a answer. I was so careful with them. I have tried everything to take of the cloudy film. I believe it is in the inside of the glass.

I have a big collection of candlewick from my mother in law, and some have turned cloudy 🤣 I was so hoping for a solution. Glass blower here we come

I have tried EVERYTHING you tried, also on some delightful retro glass desert plates from the thrift store. I laughed. I said the same thing - they’re cheap enough that if they don’t come clean, not much harm. But I love them. It’s been several years of effort and research. Here is what I’ve learned beyond a shadow of a doubt. There is build-up cloudy from hard water depositions which can often be cleaned with some elbow grease. Most of the remedies you mention will work - CeramiBryte, vinegar, acetone, and even toothpaste. BUT if the cloudy is from soft water damage that results from too much heat or too much detergent, the damage is permanent. The glass has micro abrasions that are scratched INTO the glass. The tricky part is that it’s almost impossible to know the difference until you try the vinegar et. al. There’s a fabulous video on YouTube where a guy actually removes and polishes a glass piece with engraving on it. That’s some extreme etching. Of course you know that he in essence sanded the art off and repolished with special tools. I’ve changed my ways. I use only a dollop of detergent on the gentle cycle in my dishwasher (they say that’s plenty if you pre-rinse your dishes) when washing glassware I care about with a rinsing agent and my glasses now come out consistently sparkly. I’ve not tossed the delightful dessert plates yet, but I will eventually. I just know there is a market for glass polishers who are willing with the patience to remedy our special finds if we are ok with the cost of that labor. Sometimes I would be. sigh.

I'm a couple of years late but..I think I found the solution. Mind you, I have a vintage set of Corelle dishes that are not clear. I sold a set of bowls and didn't notice the white film until I started packing them (it was a large place setting that I broke down to sell in fours). Anywho. I'm scrubbing away..seeing the white disappear thinking I did it! Till they dried and the film was right where I left it.

I found your blog and read the fails thinking somewhere in the comments was the definitive answer.

But I started thinking about the lime shine stuff. I have lime juice in my fridge...chilling there since I bought it, who knows how long ago. I took it out, squirted some on a spot and started wiping. It's gone and I mean gone gone. I rinsed my scrubby sponge and wrung it out as much as possible...kept squirting a little lime juice and scrubbed. Totally gone. TOTALLY.

Maybe worth a go for anyone searching or a future endeavors.

well this post looks like it is three years old so me posting something probably wont be read but I'll try. If the glass is etched, as it sounds like it probably is, it would probably need to be buffed as a lens would be. The proper glass buffing compound should remove the cloudy etching. I have some glass here that I am having the same problem with so I will try buffing it in my shop. If I can find a workable cheap buffing compound that seems to work I'll post again to let you know.

I know how to fix the cloudy glassware!!! I tried all of the solutions suggested on this page and none worked. What DID work PERFECTLY was an Auto Headlight Restorer Kit. The one I used is called FAST BRITE. I used it on 2 vintage, clear glass coffee cups that are part of those old luncheon tray sets from the 60's. They look brand new. Just follow the instructions in the package.

I have a few drinking glasses and preserve jars that have developed a cloudy ring above a certain level. They have come into contact only with light, ordinary susbstances: fermented cucumbers and cabbage, sour milk, sour preserves, plant soil, concentrated citric acid in attempt to clean. Are there particular chemicals that need to be avoided? I thought glass was eternal. Most search results discuss intentional etching or mineral deposits. I'll be on a lookout for a glass polisher if it is not prohibitively expensive.

Kim, I think I'm on the right track. I have two goblets from a set that my daughter-in-law bought at an auction. They have the same beaded edge as your big platter, and the surface is definitely etched, not covered with a film.

Many years ago I hand ground and polished a telescope mirror, with a much finer level of polish than is necessary for typical glassware. I didn't use any power tools. Hey, Galileo didn't have power tools either, and he built a telescope back in 1500 and something.

Anyway I'm taking the approach that a thin layer of glass needs to be removed rather than trying to clean off a deposit from the surface. So I started with a kit I bought for polishing my auto headlights. The kit includes two small "abrasive" pads with different grit sizes on each side. So I have four grit sizes. The instructions in the kit say to spray on their "lubricant" but I ignored that and just rinsed thoroughly with plenty of plain water. It is especially important to rinse both the glass and the pads between changes of grit size, so you remove all traces of the coarser grit before starting with a finer grit. BTW I think these "grit" sizes are something like 1000, 2000, or 4000. It might be called emory cloth. It doesn't feel like it's doing anything unless you rub across an edge of the glass. Then it sounds like fine sandpaper. But with about five minutes of rubbing, rinsing, rubbing again, rinsing again, on each grit size, it has removed over half of the haze.

In order to check progress the glass must be rinsed, washed with soap, then rinsed again and dried, then completely air dried in order to see if any haze remains.

I wish I could upload a photo that shows the significant improvement. I'm not satisfied yet, because there is still some mild haze. I plan to try some telescope lens polishing techniques next, if one more session of abrasive polishing doesn't make it perfect.

Oh, and my wife says this is a waste of my time because those goblets can be purchased for only $5 - $20 each. I don't care. I just want to prove that it can be done by a do-it-yourself method. (Or is it the Galileo method?)

Has anyone tried clear glass paint?

Has anyone thought of just using the dishes the way they are? They look fine.

Could possibly be opalescent glass - clear and white

Ironically, while trying to rub out the haze on our drinking glasses I noticed that oils do hide the haze... if the dish is something you're just going display, try rubbing on a light layer of olive oil... not a perfect solution but it was easy to make it look clear... until it got washed again.

Heads up: I read the manual that came with our dishwasher. It mentioned to find out how many 'grains' were in the water in order to be able to put the correct amount of dishwashing soap in the unit. Without this knowledge, glassware could be etched. However there was no solution as how to remove the etching.

For shower glass, use shaving cream. Rub on the cloudy area. Leave for 24 hours. Wash off. May need a face cloth to rub it off completely. Works fantastically well.