Easily breakable and often valuable, crystal requires careful handling. Knowing how to clean crystal can minimize chances of damage. To clean crystal items like dinnerware, jewelry, figurines or chandeliers, the crystal cleaning must be done by hand.
Take a tubful of lukewarm water and add some mild soap and vinegar to it. Rinse dinnerware in this. With a soft-bristle toothbrush or a sponge pad, scrub gently to remove accumulated dirt.
Keep the crystal immersed in the soapy vinegar rinse to get rid of spots or cloudy marks. A rinse made by dissolving a denture cleaning tablet in water is also effective. However, if the glass has developed too much cloudiness, the damage may be irreversible. It is best to try and prevent such clouding from happening altogether. The culprits are often strong detergents, So try to avoid those and use mild, home-made cleaners for everyday crystal cleaning.
Try a bleach and warm water combination. Another option is a baking powder and lemon juice paste. Soaking two spoonfuls of rice in water and then immersing the crystal in it can vanquish some stains.
If not, buy the best glass cleaners available in the market. Check the label to make sure the cleaning product does not contain any damaging ammonia in it. Whether using a home-made or store-bought rinse to clean crystal, hold the items under clean running water afterwards and wash well.
Spread out the dinnerware on a clean counter next. Never pile or heap one on top of another. Allow the items to air dry. Then polish each with a soft lint-free cloth to make the crystal sparkle.
Some of the cleaning techniques used for cleaning crystal dinnerware can be used to clean crystal figurines as well. If it is not feasible to soak the figurines in the rinse water, wet a newspaper in it and wipe them with that. With jewelry, where the settings might tarnish if soaked, the same procedure can be followed.
To clean crystal chandeliers, switch off the electricity and lower them from the ceiling. Wrap protective plastic about the electric bulbs. Prepare a cleaning rinse of one part isopropyl alcohol and three parts water.
Dip a cloth in this rinse and carefully wipe the crystal chandelier. Follow up this wet wipe by wiping with a dry cloth. Spraying the chandelier with the rinse would be faster, but wiping each part is a more thorough and more effective way to clean crystal chandeliers.
