Ready to make your cloudy glassware clear again? Here’s 3 EASY ways to remove hard water spots on glassware. Works on water spots on windows too!
How To Remove Hard Water Spots On Glassware
If you have hard water, you probably know what it’s like to have hard water spots on shower doors, windows, and glassware.
Luckily, there are a few cheap and easy ways to clean hard water spots off any type of glass. Here’s the quick and easy steps you need to get rid of hard water spots on glassware.
Plus, after those directions, I have one BIG tip to prevent permanent etching that makes you have hazy glassware. So, don’t forget to check that out!
Table of contents
Let’s get to that list of ways to clean water spots off of glassware.
How To Clean Hazy Glassware & Hard Water Spots (Video Steps)
Want to see how I tested these methods? Watch this video for a look at all 3 ways to remove hard water spots on glassware. Scroll down to see the written list and tips.
Ways To Remove Hard Water Spots on Glassware
After checking multiple recommendations online, I picked these 3 options as the easiest and best for cleaning hazy glassware.
1. Bar Keepers Friend
Sprinkle Bar Keepers Friend on a damp sponge or rag, to make a paste. Then lightly scrub away the hard water spots on glassware. I like to use a textured sponge for extra help at removing that mineral build up.
I like to use the plastic mesh covered Scour Daddy or the Scotch-Brite Scrub Dots sponge.
Add more Bar Keepers Friend, as needed. Once you’ve finished, rinse the glassware clean before washing it with normal dish soap and warm water. Then towel dry to prevent more spots from forming.
2. Vinegar
I’ve found a bunch of variations online for how to use vinegar to clean hard water stains on glassware. I’m sure most of them work. So, I’ll just cover the two I tried.
The first option is to heat one cup of water in a microwave for 1 minute to get it nice and warm. Then add 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar (5% acidity) to the water.
Dip a clean rag in that mix, then start rubbing away those hard water stains on your glassware. This takes a little elbow grease, but it works! Just be sure to not press too hard on thinner glass, like wine glasses.
The second option is an undiluted vinegar dip. If your water stains have been building up for a few years, or you just want to reduce the amount of time you have to spend scrubbing, you can do a dip.
Fill a sink or plastic tub with enough vinegar to submerge your glassware. Then soak your glassware for 2 hours. Once that’s done, use a rug or a scratch-free scrubbing pad to get rid of hard water spots.
With both options, finish by washing the glassware in normal dish soap in warm water, then towel dry.
3. Baking Soda
The third option is pretty close to the first, but with baking soda. So, grab a damp, scratch-free pad or rag and sprinkle on a good amount of baking soda. You want to have enough to make a good paste.
Then scrub the hard water spots on your glassware until they’re gone. Again, be sure to not press hard enough to break fragile glassware.
Then rinse clean and wash with dish soap and warm water. Towel dry to make your hazy glassware look new again.
What Causes Hard Water Spots On Glassware?
Hard water spots are a build up of the minerals in hard water. Generally, it’s dissolved calcium and magnesium that is found in hard water.
To prevent hard water stains from building up, there are two options that really help!
First, you can hand dry all of your glassware and shower door to stop spots from forming. Second, you can install a water softener to remove those excess minerals before they get into your house.
How Your Dishwasher Can Cause Hazy Glassware
OK, if you watched the video above, you already know that I wasn’t able to clean my cloudy glassware. So, after doing a bunch of research, I found out that my dishwasher was actually the problem.
It seems that water heated to 140-degrees or above can permanently etch glassware. That means that after enough washes in a dishwasher, you’ll have cloudy-looking or hazy glassware.
In general, every dishwasher can get to 140 degrees or higher during a normal wash cycle. And, it always reaches over 140 degrees during the dishwasher dry cycle.
So, if you want to keep your glassware clear, it’s best to hand wash and dry glassware instead of putting glassware in the dishwasher.
Should You Wash Glassware In A Dishwasher?
No, you should not wash glassware in a dishwasher. The dishwasher can easily get your glassware clean. But, water heated to 140 degrees or higher can permanently etch glassware, giving it a cloudy look.
That’s it for how to remove hard water spots. I hope this helped! Now, here’s a few more posts you might like.
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Stephanie Abbott has been remodeling homes, updating & building furniture, and working on DIY home maintenance and cleaning tips for over 20 years. Her remodeling has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. And, her DIY YouTube channel has had more than 8 million views.
Most of the DIY tutorials and videos on this site focus on beginner to intermediate level DIY Projects that can be done in an affordable way without high-end, expensive tools. All of the cleaning tips on this website have been tested in her home.