How do you wash wine glasses without damaging them?

Washing wine glasses sounds like a simple task, but there are plenty of ways to do it wrong. Water that's too hot, a rough sponge, too much pressure on the stem, or simply waiting too long to wash: these are small mistakes that, over time, lead to dull glass, streaks, or cracked stems. With the right approach, you can wash wine glasses clean and keep them in good condition longer.

By hand or in the dishwasher?

For crystal wine glasses, handwashing is the safest method. The high temperatures and strong detergents in a dishwasher can damage the surface of crystal glass, making it dull over time. Thin-walled glasses are also more prone to breakage in the dishwasher due to the vibrations of the program.

Wine glasses made of regular glass can often be put in the dishwasher, but even then: use a gentle program at a low temperature, place the glasses stably, and make sure they don't touch each other. The stem is the most fragile point and can easily break if a glass shifts during the program and bumps against something. Do you want to know exactly how to safely load wine glasses into the dishwasher? Then read how to load wine glasses into the dishwasher.

What do you need for handwashing?

You need very little to wash wine glasses properly by hand. A soft sponge or a dedicated glass brush, a mild, unscented dish soap, lukewarm water, and a clean, lint-free cloth for drying. That's all. Scouring pads, steel wool, or aggressive cleaning agents should not come near wine glasses.

Step-by-step guide to washing wine glasses

Fill the sink or a washing-up bowl with lukewarm water and a small dash of mild dish soap. Hot water is not necessary to remove wine and increases the risk of cracking in crystal glass due to the temperature difference with the glass. Hold the glass by the bowl while washing, not by the stem. The stem is the narrowest and most fragile point and will break if you apply too much force to it while scrubbing the bowl.

Wash the outside of the bowl with the soft sponge in circular motions. For the inside of the bowl, use a glass brush or carefully insert the sponge. Pay extra attention to the rim, where lipstick and greasy residues accumulate. Then rinse thoroughly with clean lukewarm water. Check that there is no soapy smell left, as soap residue affects the taste of the wine you pour into it next time.

Drying: how to prevent water streaks

Immediately after rinsing, dry the glasses with a clean, dry, and lint-free cloth. A microfiber cloth or a special glass cloth works best. Regular kitchen towels shed lint and leave fibers that are visible on the glass under light.

Dry the outside of the bowl with a twisting motion while holding the glass by the foot or stem. For the inside, fold the cloth in half and carefully twist it into the bowl. Do not press too hard, especially with thin-walled crystal glasses. Then place the glasses upside down on a clean, dry cloth for a moment before putting them away, so that any remaining drops evaporate.

When to wash: immediately after use or later?

Washing immediately after use is always better than waiting. Wine residues that dry are much harder to remove than fresh residues. A glass that has been left overnight with wine residues inside sometimes has a stain that does not completely disappear with ordinary washing. In that case, a mixture of coarse salt and vinegar, or citric acid dissolved in lukewarm water, helps. Read more about removing stubborn stains in how to clean wine glasses.

Removing lipstick from a wine glass

Lipstick adheres to glass and doesn't always come off with ordinary washing. Applying a small amount of dish soap directly to the stain and letting it soak in for a while helps. Then rub over the stain with a soft sponge in small circular motions. For stubborn lipstick residues, a cotton swab with a drop of table salt also works well. Then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Removing odor from wine glasses

Wine glasses that have been stored in a closed cabinet for a long time sometimes acquire a musty odor. Rinsing with lukewarm water before use is often sufficient. For a stronger odor, a mixture of water and a dash of white vinegar helps. Let the glass sit with this for fifteen minutes, then rinse thoroughly and dry it. Then leave the glass open for a while so that the vinegar odor evaporates.

Storing wine glasses after washing

Store the clean, dry, and room-temperature glasses in a cabinet with enough space between them. Do not place them too close together, as crystal glass easily taps, and a small tap can cause a hairline crack that you only notice later. Preferably store them upright, not upside down on a shelf, unless the shelf is lined with a soft base that protects the rim.

View Mémoire's collection of wine glasses for glasses made from high-quality crystal glass and designed for daily use. The Amore wine glasses are available in sets of two and six and are suitable for both red and white wine.