How to clean your glasses
Glasses should always be washed carefully
Most SPIEGELAU glasses are dishwasher safe and when properly loaded, can withstand at least 1,000 dishwashing cycles with no demonstrable change to their shine or clarity.
The dishwasher safety was tested in reference to EN 12875-1:2005 and EN 12875-2:2001.
SPIEGELAU glasses labeled with or packed in packaging labeled "handwash only", "not-dishwasher safe", or not indicating any care/cleaning instructions on the box, indicate that they are not dishwasher safe and require handwashing.
Using a Dishwasher:
- Glassware is best cared for by avoiding harsh detergents and choosing a low-temperature, short dishwashing cycle.
- When loading your glasses into your dishwasher, make sure they are well-spaced out, so they are not touching one another or anything else.
- If possible, load your glasses in the top rack and make use of the glass holder if your dishwasher has one. Such holder is meant to keep your glasses secure so they do not move during the wash. When loading, ensure that your glasses are not touching anything else such as metal utensils or mugs, and are stacked appropriately so they do not interfere with other racks or the spray arms.
- Some SPIEGELAU glasses may be too tall to fit in the top rack. In case your dishwasher has a special glass washing cycle, glasses can be carefully loaded in the bottom rack following the above instructions. If not, they will need to be handwashed.
- If available, use a stemware rack in your dishwasher, as it provides support and stops your glassware from moving around.
- To avoid stains or cloudiness, use soft water (low mineral content).
- To avoid scratches, avoid glass contact with other glass or metal.
- Use a good quality dishwasher tablet specially recommended for glassware care, and white vinegar as an environmental alternative as a rinse aid for an optimum shine.
Adjusting the Dishwasher:
Make sure that your dishwasher is optimally set
- Rinsing: Your rinse aid must be properly dosed in an optimal measurement. Please make sure that your dishwasher is always sufficiently filled with rinse aid.
- Water softening: Extremely soft water is aggressive to glass. Therefore, the water softening system of the dishwasher must be adjusted to the hardness of your household water and should correspond to a value of approx. 3 - 4 degrees German hardness (dH).
- Temperature/cycle selection: You should select a low-temperature cycle (50 - 55°C) when washing glass or, if available, a special glass cycle.
- Steam: After rinsing, you should open the dishwasher door briefly to allow moisture to escape, as water vapor can accelerate clouding of the glass surface.
- Food residues and fruit juices: Excessive amounts of food residues and large amounts of fruit acid as present in juices, may change the composition of the rinsing liquid and thus the conditions of the rinsing process, therefore pre-clean and pre-rinse such soiled items by hand.
- Washing glass and household utensils made of aluminum (e.g. garlic press, pots with aluminum handles, etc.) together should be avoided at all costs.
- Non-dishwasher safe materials: Avoid washing non-dishwasher-safe materials, e.g. aluminum and stoneware. This causes chemical reactions between the aluminum and the glass surface, which can extremely accelerate the clouding process of the glass.
Hand Washing & Hand Drying/Polishing:
- If washing by hand, wash the glass carefully under warm water (use detergent and rinse the glass carefully).
- To remove superficial stains, soak your glasses in white vinegar.
- To avoid detergent residue, rinse glasses thoroughly in clean water.
- To dry and polish the glass, use two drying cloths.
- When drying or polishing, NEVER hold both the base and the bowl at the same time, as any twisting or pressure can cause the stem to snap.
- When drying or polishing the bowl of the glass, do not hold the glass by its stem or by its base, as the stem could snap due to mishandling and can break at its narrowest point.
- Firstly, hold the glass with one drying cloth under the bowl of the glass and with the second drying cloth in the other hand carefully polish the bowl inside and out. Then, hold the glass by the base and carefully polish the base.
- Avoid drying your glasses upside down on a metal rack, as this may chip the rims.
- Avoid using a tea towel to dry or polish, as this may potentially damage your glass, instead use a microfiber polishing cloth.
- We recommend using a SPIEGELAU Microfiber Polishing Cloth, which will easily dry and polish without leaving behind any lint when properly washed (see below).
- Wash drying cloth at boiling temperature (to kill bacteria) with odorless soap.
- Do not use fabric softener when washing your microfiber polishing cloths (to avoid grease film on the glass surface).
- Attention microfiber polishing cloths must not be put in the dryer.
- Avoid storing glasses in kitchen cabinets next to items with a strong odor, as this can taint the glass and have an effect on the wine‘s aroma.
Cloudiness of glasses in the dishwasher can have two different causes. The most common turbidity is deposits of lime or detergent residues. These can be easily removed with weak acids (e.g. citric acid or white vinegar). However, there are also turbidities which, according to current knowledge, are not deposits but represent changes in the glass surface. These turbidities cannot be easily removed with household products, as they are the result of glass components being released from the glass surface.
Glass is a material that delights the owner with its brilliance and transparency. However, these properties are also responsible for the fact that damage to the glass surface - even if only minimal - becomes directly visible. Thus, a lasting cloudiness of the glass is already clearly visible to the observer if the glass is affected only at a depth that is a thousand times thinner than 1 mm. In principle, every glass is subject to this optical change process over time. The reason for the formation of the cloudiness is often difficult to trace - however, it is possible to counteract the formation of such surface damage during machine dishwashing.
To avoid cloudiness, it is best to always rinse the glasses immediately after use so that no beverage/wine residue can build up. Red wine is particularly potent, as the acid will eat into the glass if the residue remains in the glass too long.
How to clean your decanter
Decanters should always be washed carefully. Most SPIEGELAU decanters require handwashing only, unless any other care/cleaning instructions are explicitly indicated on the respective product detail pages on our website.
The ideal is of course to fill the decanter immediately after use with warm water and let it stand overnight. The next day, remove the water and then fill the decanter with about ½ l of distilled water. Swirl the decanter with the distilled water in it and then pour it back out. Water and citric acid or vinegar essence can also be used to clean the decanter while swirling it.
Then allow the decanter to dry and polish it on the outside with a microfiber polishing cloth.
Take care not to knock the spout of your decanter on the tap as this can cause chips. If your decanter is too tall for your sink, you can also try your laundry or bath tap.
Avoid using dishwashing soap or detergent in your decanter, as it can be very difficult to remove all traces.
To avoid cloudiness, always wash out the decanter immediately after use so that no wine residue can build up. Red wine is particularly potent, as the acid will eat into the glass if the residue remains in the decanter too long. If contamination does occur, you can also try some suitable cleaning tabs.
Cleaning beads can aid in removing tough stains inside the decanter. Simply fill the vessel with warm water, add the cleaning beads slowly and carefully through a funnel into the decanter and swirl them around for about two minutes. When you are finished strain the beads into a mesh colander, rinse them, dry them, and store them for future use.
