The Curse of Foggy Wine Glasses: How To Win the Battle

A common yet disturbing problem that can happen when you're sitting down to enjoy a glass of fine, perhaps expensive wine is the appearance of a dirty or foggy wine glass, even when they're squeaky clean. Everyone who enjoys wine on a regular basis have experienced this issue, and there's no question how frustrating it can be-especially when entertaining friends or important bosses. But don't throw your hands up in despair and give up or decide to buy cheaper wine glasses thinking you're just going to have to toss them later. You can actually do something about that pesky fog! A few tips will help you prevent your glasses from fogging and bring back the beautiful quality that you've come to know and love.

You may think it's all fine and well to put wine glasses in your dishwasher; dishwashers these days even sometimes offer a special section expressly for this purpose. Now obviously, fine crystal never ever goes into the dishwasher, so those "special" sections in the dishwasher are better for your typical everyday glassware. My own dishwasher has one of these spaces, but I refuse to use it. The reasons are simple: first, dishwasher detergent is well known for its abrasive properties and it can easily dig into your wine glasses, causing them to fog more with each washing. Second, consider the sauna-like temperatures that can occur in a dishwasher. Ever burn your hand pulling a newly washed dish out? Think about what your fragile wine glasses are going through. Sometimes they can even get cracked.

So if a dishwasher isn't the answer, what's the best method? Believe it or not, even in today's technology-driven world, there are still some things best done by hand. Simplicity is best, after all, especially since most wine glasses only need a simple, gentle rinse. Remembering the caveat on heat, use warm water instead of hot. Also avoid any kind of abrasive washing detergent, and if you really need to use dish soap, stick to a mild or sensitive skin soap. Use a soft cloth, never any kind of scrubbers or sponges. Be sure you rinse the glasses well, or you'll end up with the same problem you did before-mineral deposits and/or foggy glasses.

Even if you've done all of the above and your glasses are still fogging up, don't give up all hope and switch to plastic mugs. Try soaking the fogged-up glasses in white vinegar for a few hours-yes, I know vinegar is abrasive, but it's also an expert deposit remover. After that, wash the glasses in warm water with a mild soap. Repeat if necessary to get rid of any leftover deposits. While it's time consuming, the result will be well worth the effort when you see glasses that shine like they were bought yesterday.