Topic: Dishwasher stains,cloudiness on Crystal

[Andy]

I know most tips on cleaning glass, once etched on staining, thats it,
but not sure about dishwasher bloom or cloudiness on good crystal, ive got the
chemistry set out, and have one in Limescale remover, one in vinegar,
just thought id ask, before i clear the supermarket shelves of chemicals,
is it removeable?? any suggestions??
Cheers
Andy
(ive googled and some people have had good results with somethings, but thought someone on here
might know a magic trick!)
 

[Mosquito]

In my experience the only way to remove bloom or cloudiness is to polish off the damaged surface. I use a cerium oxide slurry on a felt bob in my Clark rotary tool (similar to a Dremel, but cheaper and also comes with a flexible drive which is essential for reaching the bottom of vases, etc.). This has given excellent results on lighlty clouded/ water damaged pieces. In the past I've also used Brasso, this gave a noticeable improvement, but doesn't give quite as good a finish as the Cerium oxide.

Steven

[Andy]

Thanks Steven,
I can see im going to have to invest in a dremmel or similar.
Its some good Webb Crystal, and would probably be worth having them done professionally,
ive looked before , and theres nowhere very close to me , but i will look into it,
Some of the glasses are not too bad, so i will continue with a few experiments first.
Cheers
Andy

[Mosquito]

My Clarke tool cost about £30 GBP with accessories, I was quoted £20 for polishing a single vase, so even factoring in the cost of polishing bobs and polish, it's paid for itself in no time. If your items aren't too bad, you could try hand polishing with brasso. I had a very lightly clouded Stuart vase; after a quick buff with some Brasso wadding it came up beautifully, but for anything more than the lightest bloom I'd recommend using a rotary tool as otherwise it could take forever...

The Clarke tool is still available from Machine mart here: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/crt40-40pce-rotary-tool-kit/path/17-mini-multi-purpose-power-tools  - If you shop around, you may be able to get it for even less.

I buy my Cerium oxide from Manchester Minerals here: http://www.manchesterminerals.co.uk/acatalog/Tumble_Media.html but again there are many other suppliers out there.

Best price I've found for polishing bobs is Arc Eurotrade here: http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Clearance-Items

[Andy]

Thanks Steve,
Ive just had a go with Brasso and a light scourer, and im making some headway :thup:
its working, but i can see a few scratches when i hold it up to the sun
I expect if i use a softer thingy it may take hours!
so i think i may invest
Cheers
Andy

[Anne]

I was told to use Silvo rather than Brasso as it's gentler - might be worth trying Andy. (Even for brass it seems to work better! )

[Mosquito]

What type of scourer are you using? I'd be very wary of using any type of scourer on glass - cloudiness can be easily polished off, but scratches are much more difficult..... If you're polishing by hand, just use a soft cotton cloth. Silvo is a finer polish but I've never tried it. Brasso gives results which look excellent to the naked eye; if you're worried about leaving polishing marks you could always use cerium oxide later to really brighten the piece up. 

[Andy]

Thanks Anne,and Steve,
I was impatient and treated myself to a dremmel for £40, and im having very good results
with Brasso, which i already had some of, Ive got 12 almost perfect Hock glasses.
theres 12 claret, which are a bit more stained, but im feeling confident.
Ive got some T-cut in the cupboard, might try that !
Cheers
Andy

[glassobsessed]

T cut works well on bakelite and other hard plastics, never tried it on glass. I would guess it may not be as cost effective as other fine abrasive/polishing compounds (cerium oxide etc.).

A word of warning if using cerium powder - try not to breath in the dust, use it as a slurry. I do not know of any particular danger with cerium powder, it is generally a good idea to avoid inhaling powders.

John