How to Clean Crystal

How to Clean Crystal

Your crystal cabinet contains some of your most valuable pieces of stemware and figurines, perhaps dating back to your wedding day. Keeping them polished and pristine will require a little more effort than being tossed in the dishwasher with the pots and pans. To keep your timeless crystal as fresh as the day it arrived, try these gentle, yet effective cleaning techniques:

Cleaning Crystal Stemware

Your stemware is fragile on all points from the stems to the upper lip of the rims. To ensure there is no breakage while you wash them, place a well-cushioned towel in the bottom of the sink. You will need a non-abraisive cleanser such as Palmalive or Dawn for dishes. Taking only one piece at a time, submerge your wine glass and swish with a light weight paper towel or handiwipe. You want to avoid anything rough, even on dried-in red wine, as to protect your crystal from scratches. Rinse well, and swish with clean water with a drop of amonia. This will ensure your stemware to dry with a flawless, streak-free finish.

Cleaning a Crystal Chandelier

This task does not have to be done very often, but when it does, every precaution must be used for your safety when working with an electrical appliance. Turn off the chandelier and cover each bulb with a protective bubble wrap or baggie. For light cleaning, try Windex or any other gentle cleansers with ammonia. Wipe gently with a paper towel. For more stubborn dirt, you will have to soak a soft washcloth in warm, soapy water and lightly scrub each piece. But, be careful that you don’t apply too much pressure if your chandelier is connected by delicate chain links that can snap.

Cleaning Delicate Crystal Jewelery

Lay your crystal jewelery on a flat towel to protect the links and chains. Warm, soapy water may be applied with an old, soft toothbrush to gently scrub away grime and particles. To rinse, simply dip the necklace or bracelet in clean water and pat dry. For larger pieces, such as pendants and rings, you might want to spritz a little amonia and water mixture to give the stones a brilliant shine.

Betsy Cline

Betsy Cline has been a professional house cleaner for 15 years and also a mother of 4 amazing kids (who make lots of messes). She is the founder of How to Clean It and loves to share tips and advice for cleaning up anything life throws at you.

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