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After the feast, you have to wash a mountain of plates, cutlery and other utensils. Fragile glassware requires special attention and care. We will learn how to properly wash glasses and wine glasses in the dishwasher – to a shine and perfect cleanliness.
How to wash glasses in the dishwasher?
Manual washing not only often ends with the loss of 1-2 glasses, but also does not give the desired result – stains and stains from dried drops remain on the glass. Washing in the dishwasher (DMM) allows you to get the desired gloss of the glass. But on one condition – you need to properly load the glasses and wash them properly. Let’s find out how to do it.
How to load wine glasses?
The PMM has a special holder for glasses, in which they are installed. The holder is designed in such a way that it allows you to install wine glasses of any shape in it.
In PMM you can wash glasses for wine, cocktails and others. It is not recommended to wash only crystal products. The shape and size can be any, the main thing is that long products fit in the chamber.
The peculiarity of wine glasses is an elongated shape and a narrow neck, which makes washing difficult. For high-quality washing of products of this form, it is necessary that the jets of water, beating from the spray arm, fall inside them.
Among professional PMM there are specialized models in which you can wash dozens of wine glasses at a time. In everyday life, it is impractical to have such machines, so fragile glassware is washed in ordinary dishwashers.
If the wine glasses are simply put in baskets, they will not be washed well, moreover, they may crack from the pressure of water. You need to set them correctly:
- There is a rule how to put glasses and wine glasses – upside down. But if the former are simply placed in the upper basket, then the latter are fixed in special holders. The legs should be pointing up.
- Tall products with long legs are placed in the lower basket, more meek – in the upper one.
- Secure with holders so that they do not fall to one side during washing. If there are no such devices in the dishwasher, they can be bought separately.
- There should be gaps between adjacent objects – glass products should not be placed too close to each other. Other dishes should also not be placed too close to glassware.
There are two types of holders – removable and stationary. The former are more convenient to use.
PMM of different brands have their own nuances of filling baskets. But in most machines, the design of the baskets is about the same. So, for example, in Electrolux and Bosch dishwashers, a separate shelf with special holders was taken under large glasses.
What to put the program?
It is not recommended to wash wine glasses together with very dirty dishes. The program must be chosen special – for fragile dishes. Intensive mode is unacceptable – thin glass can crack.
Procedure:
- When the dishes are arranged, the baskets are pushed into the chamber.
- Pour the powder into the tray – 50% of the dose. If a 3-in-1 tablet detergent is used, then half of one tablet is placed in the appropriate compartment.
- Check if there is salt and rinse aid. The machine itself signals the user about their absence. If the compartments are empty, the corresponding indicators light up.
- Close the PMM door and install the program. For thin glass, it is recommended to select the express mode. Thick-walled products can safely withstand a standard wash.
- Set the water temperature. The maximum is 40 degrees. And start the car.
When the cycle is over and the dishes are dry, they are carefully removed from the dishwasher. Glass items need to be handled with care. To prevent fingerprints from being left on the glass, the glasses are taken by the legs.
Which detergent to choose?
The means used for washing in PMM are divided into two categories:
- strongly alkaline – they are used for standard washing;
- slightly alkaline – for fragile glass.
In weakly alkaline products there are enzymes – enzymes that are active at low temperatures.
In order not to spoil glassware, you should not use products that do not specifically indicate that they can be used for washing glassware.
Best of all, products without phosphates, chlorine and other harmful components have proven themselves. They clean surfaces with active oxygen and other natural ingredients. Among the manufacturers of such products are Cascade Complete, Finish Quantum, Gruen-Green.
Why does glass get cloudy?
After repeated washes in PMM, thin-walled glass products turn white. It has been noticed that when washing by hand, nothing like this happens with glasses. Including if they are washed with hot water. So, it’s not about water, but about detergents used in automatic washing.
On glass objects that are often washed in dishwashers, two types of plaque can form:
- Reversible. It occurs due to the deposition of scale – it, in turn, appears due to increased water hardness. It can be easily removed with citric acid.
- Irreversible. Appears due to corrosion of glass, which changes color and transparency. First, a thin film appears on the glass – it shimmers like an oily stain on water. Then the film acquires a milky hue, it is no longer possible to wash it with conventional means.
Irreversible film occurs due to the high level of alkali in the composition of the powder or gel. That is why it is so important to use slightly alkaline formulations.
Alkali has a negative effect on glass – it literally dissolves it. Detergent compositions contain silicates, which slow down the dissolution. But at the same time, a milky film appears on the surface. If there are no silicates in the composition, the film will not form as quickly.
How to prevent or reduce the appearance of plaque:
- Use salt to soften hard water.
- Do not turn on the temperature above 40-50 degrees.
- Adjust the amount of powder and gel – in hard water they need more. There are machines that regulate the dose themselves, measuring the hardness automatically.
Another reason for the appearance of plaque is physical friction. Glass products rub against each other during washing – this causes haze.
If you fulfill all the conditions for washing glasses in PMM, then you can maintain their appearance at the highest level for a long time. Automatic washing not only ensures a perfect result, but also prevents glass breakage, which often happens when washing by hand. And all it takes to keep the glasses safe and sound is not to break them at other times than washing.