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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Martin Hadley on July 05, 2006, 03:49:18 AM

Title: Crystall in the dishwasher
Post by: Martin Hadley on July 05, 2006, 03:49:18 AM
Hi all,

A question from Sydney where, by the way, the water is very soft.

I have a cheap crystal glass that I have put through the dishwasher many times. (I inherited it as the sole survivor of a set - the others had been broken over the years.) It has gone cloudy which I am told is the lead reacting with the alkaline detergent. I assume other crystal would behave similarly.

My wife has a Stuart Crystal cut glass bowl, received as a present. The 'instructions' say under no circumstances can it be put in the dishwasher. Is this because of the cloudiness problem, mentioned above, or is there any other reason for the warning eg danger from hot water?

Hence, would it be safe to use a rinse only cycle?

(One reason for my question is that we are under water restrictions and a good dishwasher uses less water than a person doing a lengthy rinse.)

Thanks and best regards,

Martin Hadley
Title: Crystall in the dishwasher
Post by: Anne on July 05, 2006, 04:01:54 AM
Hi Martin, welcome to the board. :)

I'd not let any of my crystal anywhere near a dishwasher at all - even in the soft water area I am in.  It can cause cloudiness and cracking and is, in my personal view, just too risky. The problem is caused not so much by the machine itself but by the detergent which can be abrasive, although even small pieces of food debris from plates etc in a dishwasher can cause damage to glassware due to the whizzy action of the water.

However, I can understand your question given your water restrictions, so this page of info from the Waterford Crystal people may be of use to you: http://www.waterford.com/shop/article.asp?id=14