How to Clean and Care for Crystal

Crystal Stemware and Glassware
You had the dinner party and it was a success, your guests loved your beautiful hand painted wine glasses. Now the guests have gone home and you have the task of cleaning your delicate crystal. So what is the best way to accomplish this?
Crystal is as delicate as it is beautiful. Cleaning must be done with care, preferably one piece at a time. The less you handle the piece the better, most damage occurs when cleaning and moving.
Putting stemware in the dishwasher is very risky, especially hand blown crystal, it is much too fragile. Ideally they should be hand washed by hands as delicate as the crystal itself.

The first step is to line the bottom of your sink with a dish towel or paper towels to buffer the delicate items. Wash each piece as a single, holding wine glasses by their bowl rather than the stem, in warm water and a mild dish-washing liquid. Then rinse in a bowl of warm water (temperature changes can cause breakage and hot water can fade hand-painted pieces) dry with a cotton or lint free towel while warm. Then place right side up to cool before storing. Do Not stack items.

Crystal Jewelry
Just wearing your fine jewelry causes it to become dirty from the oils in your skin. Keep in mind an important fact to keeping your jewelry looking its best….always put your pendants, necklaces and earings on after you’ve applied your make-up and hair products.
To really make your crystal jewelry sparkle you’ll need to soak the pieces in a sudsy combination of hot water and Dawn dishwashing liquid for just a few minutes. Then gently go over the pieces with a very soft old toothbrush, if necessary. Rinse with hot water. Dry with paper towels, and then set out on paper towels to finish drying.

Crystal Figurines:
Curios are just what you are looking for displaying and keeping your crystal collection beautiful and almost dust free. To help prevent dust from entering your cabinets and curios, apply weather stripping to the edges of the doors. When displaying your pieces, keep them back from the edges to prevent them from falling.
To clean crystal figurines wipe them with newspaper dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar to three parts water. Remove dirt from fine crevices using an inexpensive auto detail brush or soft toothbrush. The bristles are stiff enough to get into tight spaces, but soft enough not to damage surface

Stains on Crystal:
For tough stains-put about two teaspoons of rice into the bowl of crystal, add water and swirl gently. Repeat if necessary.
For stubborn stains- make a paste of lemon juice and baking powder (finer and less abrasive than baking soda) and rub over crystal and wash.
For extra shiny streak free glasses, add a little vinegar or borax to the final rinse water.

An important fact to remember about crystal candle holders, NEVER leave them burning for more than two hours. This is a preventative measure for fires and also for damage to your candle holders.