Expert Tips: The Best Ways to Clean Wine Glasses and Crystal

Jul 20, 2022

a Riedel glass is cleaned with a Riedel microfiber cloth

Clean, sparkling wine glasses are a wine lover's dream. When you raise your glass for a toast with friends, nothing beats the look of it glistening in the light as it clinks musically against its siblings. Read on to learn how you can safely clean, dry, and polish your wine glasses so they shine perfectly every time while minimizing the risk of breaking them in the process.

cleaning glass using RIEDEL polishing cloth

Cleaning your wine glasses effectively

Have you ever thought you'd given your wine glasses a thorough clean, only to find that they have a cloudy consistency, or perhaps some smudges from their previous use are still visible? With a few points of care, you can make that a problem of the past whether you use a dishwasher for your glasses or if you handwash them. First, there are some key points to keep in mind before washing your wine glasses:

Glasses must always be cleaned carefully.
Most RIEDEL glasses are dishwasher-safe, and under good operating conditions can withstand 1000 wash cycles without any demonstrable loss of shine or clarity. The dishwasher resistance has been tested in accordance with EN 12875-1:2005 and EN 12875-2:2001.
RIEDEL glasses labelled "hand wash only" or "not dishwasher safe" or supplied in packaging that does not show or contain care/cleaning instructions are not dishwasher safe and require handwashing.

With the above in mind, here’s how you can maximize the effectiveness of your chosen wine glass washing method.

Washing wine glasses by hand

While dishwashers can be very effective, not everybody has one, and some people simply prefer handwashing their favorite wine glasses. To handwash your glassware more effectively, be sure to:

Regularly replace sponges and cleaning cloths.
Cleaning equipment endures wear and tear like anything else, but your sponges and cloths must be clean if you want sparkling glasses. Remember to change disposable items regularly and to wash items that can be cleaned.
Use warm water and dish soap.
Warm water is more effective than cold water at activating dish soap, which dissolves grease and other residue on your wine glasses. Avoid using water that is too hot, as this can damage your wine glasses.

Hold your wine glass by the bowl with washing. This is key, as holding your wine glass by the stem increases the risk of snapping it. While holding your wine glass by the bowl, wash the bowl, rim, stem, and base by gently applying pressure in a circular motion using your sponge.

Rinse glasses with clean, warm water. Keep a separate bowl of warm water for rinsing after cleaning to remove any soapy residue. You can add a splash of white vinegar to the rinse water for extra shine and to help prevent water spots on your glasses.

Dry thoroughly. Place the rinsed glassware upside down on a drying mat to air dry, ensuring they are spaced out to allow air circulation.

Washing wine glasses in the dishwasher

When cared for and used properly, dishwashers can be a convenient, economical way of cleaning your wine glasses. Remember to do the following to maximize its effectiveness:

Clean it out regularly. Dishwashers accumulate grime over time, so you should run monthly cleaning cycles using distilled vinegar to ensure your glasses are being washed in a clean environment. Pour 1 cup of distilled vinegar into a bowl, and run a cleaning cycle in an otherwise empty dishwasher with the bowl placed securely on the bottom rack. Be sure to also wipe down the dishwasher's interior, door, and seals, and clear debris from the filter and spray arms to help your dishwasher run efficiently.

Keep the rinse aid dispenser topped up. Rinse aid helps water to slide off your wine glasses more efficiently, allowing them to dry better at the end of each dishwashing cycle. In hard water areas, this will also help prevent stubborn water spots from forming on your wine glasses.

Soften water to avoid stains or cloudiness. Hard water (water that contains a lot of minerals) increases the risk of mineral deposits being left on your wine glasses after use. To soften the water in your dishwasher cycle, make sure your dishwasher salt compartment is kept topped up. By softening your water, dishwasher salt improves the cleaning performance of your detergent each cycle and also prevents limescale buildup in your dishwasher in the long run.

Load wine glasses safely into the dishwasher. Try to resist the temptation to squeeze everything into your dishwasher when you have a lot to clean. Keeping space between items in the dishwasher is essential for allowing water to properly circulate during each cycle. Avoiding contact with other glasses or other items also helps to prevent your glasses from being scratched in the dishwasher.
Use stemware holders if possible. Stemware holders are specially designed to keep wine glasses secure and prevent them from tipping over. Certain RIEDEL glasses may be too high to fit in the top rack of the dishwasher, in which case they can be placed carefully in the bottom rack if your dishwasher has a special glassware program. Otherwise, glasses that are too tall for the top rack should be cleaned by hand.

Wash at a lower temperature with gentle detergent. Using a lower temperature will help to preserve your wine glasses' quality for longer, while gentle detergents are less likely to leave behind any residue that can affect the taste and aroma of your wine.

Let your wine glasses breathe and cool at the end of the cycle. Opening your dishwasher door slightly at the end of its cycle allows steam to escape, preventing water vapor from clouding your glassware. It also helps your wine glasses to cool down safely, which can help as warm glasses pose a higher risk of breaking.

Polishing wine glasses with a microfiber cloth

If you've followed along so far, your wine glasses should be thoroughly cleaned whether you've used a dishwasher or opted for a handwashing method. To top it all off and make your wine glasses look brand new, you can carefully wipe using our RIEDEL microfiber polishing cloths. Here's how you can use these cloths effectively:

Use two cloths - one in each hand. Use one polishing cloth to hold the wine glass and the other to wipe. Doing this prevents you from embarking on a frustrating cycle of cleaning with one hand while leaving fresh fingerprint marks with the other.
Hold your wine glass at the bottom of the bowl when cleaning the bowl, and by the base when cleaning the base and stem. As mentioned when discussing how to handwash your wine glasses, holding them by the base or stem when cleaning the bowl, or vice versa, places extra pressure on the stem, increasing the risk of it breaking.
Clean the inside of the bowl gently. If you force your whole hand into your wine glass's bowl, you put undue pressure on the inside of the glass, risking breaking it. Instead, loosely place your RIEDEL microfiber cloth inside the bowl and twist slowly and gently, allowing your cloth to polish the wine glass safely and effectively.
Inspect thoroughly. Once you have finished polishing the glass, hold it to the light to check for any remaining spots or streaks and repolish if needed.

To clean your 001000007 and continue polishing your glasses perfectly, wash them on a high setting - 75°C/167°F minimum. Avoid using fabric softener, as this can cause a greasy film to transfer onto the surface of your glasses. Microfiber cloths must not be put in the tumble dryer, so hang dry after cleaning.

Having read this blog, you’re fully prepared to have your glasses shining like diamonds for your next party. Stick to these guidelines, and you'll enjoy sparkling glasses for a lifetime. For further details on caring for your wine glasses, please see our decanter cleaning blog.