How to clean and care for glassware

Let’s say you enjoyed a glass of red wine from your new Manufacture red wine glasses the evening before. These glasses are not dishwasher-safe and should be washed by hand. When should you clean your wine glasses? Red wine can leave unsightly marks on and in the glasses, and so it is advisable to soak them the same evening. The next day, wash the glasses in lukewarm water, with a splash of detergent, to remove grease from the surface of the glass (grease may be deposited on glasses from drinking, and due to fingerprints).

After cleaning, rinse your glasses again with lukewarm water to remove all traces of detergent. This is important so that streaks do not form on the surface of the glass, thus preventing the wine from sparkling. Allow the glasses to drain briefly, and then dry them carefully with a soft, clean, dry cloth. This also prevents water stains from remaining on the surface of the glass.

To make your fine red wine glasses really shine, you can polish them. You can achieve very good results with a microfiber or linen cloth. Hold the glasses over light steam beforehand to avoid streaks, and to make them particularly shiny. After polishing, hold the glass up to the light to check whether there are any marks or lint on its surface. If not, store the glasses safely in a cupboard, in their original box, to protect them from dust and stains.

Glass corrosion is caused by high temperatures and strong cleaning agents during cleaning, which causes tiny cracks to form on the surface of the glass. This does not break the glass, but they become cloudy due to deposits accumulating in the affected areas. As glass corrosion cannot be reversed, it is important to take preventative measures. Use mild detergents to clean your glasses, and a low washing temperature. This also applies to all high-quality crystal glasses from Villeroy & Boch, be it water glasses, white and red wine glasses, champagne glasses or beer glasses

Deposits on glasses can be avoided if you leave the glasses in water overnight or rinse them immediately with lukewarm water. Use a recommended soft microfiber cloth and a mild detergent for cleaning. Be sure to rinse with clean water afterwards to prevent a gray haze from forming on the surface of your glasses.

Are your glasses not clean enough, even though you have washed them in the dishwasher? This could be due to the dishwasher itself. A drain might be blocked, stopping water from draining away, and thus repeatedly rinsing the glasses with soiled water. As a result, dirt particles stick to the glasses as they dry. It is therefore important to check the dishwasher’s drain outlet, and top up the dishwasher salt and rinse aid.

Limescale deposits are unsightly and unhygienic. An immersion bath for glasses is a good way to remove limescale gently from delicate and high-quality glasses. Prepare a small tub of warm water for the immersion bath. Dissolve one to two tablespoons of white vinegar in the water and place the glasses upside down in it. After about 30 minutes, remove the glasses, rinse them and polish them dry.

Perhaps you just bought a high-quality glass vase from Villeroy & Boch, for example from the Rose Garden collection, and it now has unsightly deposits from the flowers placed in it. No problem: a glass scrub can help. To clean the vase, fill it with water and add a tablespoon of citric acid, coarse salt and a tablespoon of crushed eggshells. Then swirl the vase in a circular motion to loosen the deposits. After about 30 minutes, rinse the vase with cold water. You can also use this method to clean, for example, water or beer glasses.

If you decide to clean your glasses in the dishwasher, you can use a little trick to make them shine. Add a heaped teaspoon of the popular household remedy, baking soda, to the dishwasher detergent for each wash cycle. Both your glasses and the rest of your dishes will literally shine. Baking soda is also a disinfectant, and removes odors.