Glass turning cloudy

I have some glassware that is getting cloudy or milky looking. I've noticed this on old bottles, too.

How do I clean it?
How do I prevent it?

Thank you for your help.

Frank

ps. Merry Christmas!

 

Do you wash them in a dishwasher?

 

Yes, I was going to say that as well. Be sure to keep old glassware out of the dishwasher. It will turn cloudy.

 

Once it's begun to turn cloudy, is there a way to reverse that process?

 

IF THERE IS A WAY TO REVERSE IT, I'M ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE ANSWER!!!!

 

here CLR cleans glass....
or on the net.....

Tips for cleaning cloudy glass:

1. Leave the object in vinegar and water overnight to loosen calcium deposits, rinse with water and dry with a microfiber towel.
2. Vaseline or petroleum jelly can sometimes remove light calcium build-up. ...
3. Fill with lukewarm water and drop in a denture cleaner tablet.

 

Water will etch glass. It's a long slow process, but it can be fixed. There are folks who can mechanically polish the insides of glass vessels, but it too is a long slow process and is not cheap. A once valuable piece can be returned to value, but an invaluable piece should not be, too much expense.

 

If you've tried denture tablets, copper shot and limescale remover plus cerium oxide paste, then the only answers after that are Muriatic acid or mechanical polishing.

 

One other thing that may help if you can get your hand into the pitcher is Mr Clean Glass Magic. Hint do not let fluids sit in glass as some may start this process in items not intended as storage containers.

 

Years ago, someone on the ebay board said Bar Keepers Friend will sometimes take it off if it isn't heavily damaged. I haven't tried it myself.

 

MY dishwashing chemicals eat my cheap soda-lime glass over time, mostly the bar industry's industrial pint glasses and such. I just toss them and get more at Goodwill. I never put my "good" glass in the dishwasher. It could also be that your glass is crizzling from weeping glass disease, caused by a poor cullet batch. At home there is nothing you can do unless you are a conservator and happen to have a chemistry lab in your basement. Keeping it dry will slow down the deterioration, but the breakdown is inevitable. When purchasing old glass take note of any cloudiness or crizzling, an oily residue or crystal formations and an odd odor, and pass it up. Here's a brain-numbing explanation of the lengths you need to go to to reverse it. Because this is a conservator's approach, very few items would warrant this expense outside of a museum collection. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journa...zzling-eight-years-of-collaborative-research/

 

Years ago I've worked on that problem with a technician in the glass factory of Saint-Prex, one of the most important in Switzerland, and he explained me what is this "disease" as he said in french when i make a direct translation.
It's a part of the salt needed for glass making which solves in distillate water, it can come on some lead crystal too when it's the same problem.
It explain me why it cannot be reversed, when glass has this problem in fabrication it comes always back whatever you make.
The only solution possible is to mask that with a coating of resin or varnish when it's your piece but for a seller it's a forgery to make it.
All which comes from digging have this problem and that can deteriorate and colour glass as you have certainly seen on Roman glass, the best example.
This is documentation about that problem on those links but in French, you can certainly find the same in English with the right Google search.
www.iaea.org/inis/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/37/038/37038437.pdf
https://pastel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00008627/document

 

It's known here as glass sickness, and yes, it can happen with very high quality glass.

 

Thanks, it's the same word used as in french then, this friend explain me that with a high quality decanter where you let some water when cleaning, without the alcohol last rinse, let it closed in a place where it can have the sun on a face for example.
Each day/night difference one after one you make distillate water which descend in the decanter and cause this glass sickness in a few weeks, distillate water is really a poison for glass, always use alcohol(white-spirit) for the last cleaning and let it open until it's totally dry.
For people having some experience in glass you can make the difference between calcium deposit and glass sickness, aspect is really different(sort of milk-grey colour) and you can touch with your finger or anything to compare, glass sickness is impossible to touch, calcium makes a rough surface.

 

The way I dry decanters is to make a sort of wick from kitchen roll and poke it in, then put the thing somewhere warm. Airing cupboard or top of a radiator. And never leave the stopper in if there's any chance it still has moisture.

 

It's the good way, if you want more security, rinse with half a decilitre of white spirit you can reuse, as it's water absorbent and make the rest as you explain.

 

The only problem with that is you can't then fill it with whisky.

 

Why not if the stopper is of good quality…

 

The white spirit contaminates the hooch.

 

Hi,
I have several old decanters (18th century) that had a lot of "glass disease". I pour in a lot of heavy mineral oil slosh it around and turn the decanter upside down and let it drain. When it stops dripping I turn it upright and insert the stopper. I have not touched them in many years but they look wonderful. I just wash the outside.
greg