Dish Washer Scum

[Myriad2112]

My wife recently put some glasses in the dishwasher which all came out clean except two.These two came out with a white film on which seems impossible to remove. Does anyone know what is is and how to get rid of it.

[Myriad2112]

can anyone answer this?

[DSJ]

Exactly the same thing has happened to one of mine. I'm wondering if there is some fault with the glass because the mark definitely won't come out although it has been through the dishwasher several times since the white mark appeared. I shall watch this space with interest!

[dunwerkin]

I think this is the right answer. The better quality your glasses, the worse the filming problem. Its the lead in your lead crystal glasses which melts in the heat of your dish washer. Best not to put good glasses in the machine, just the cheap supermarket ones!

[Myriad2112]

we had a set of 6 and it only happened to 2
why 2 and not the other 4

[dunwerkin]

Sorry, no idea! I have stopped putting my good stuff in the dishwasher, it is not very kind to delicate things. A friend of mine puts her golf balls on the top tray - says they come up a treat !

[samsong7]

It happens with almost all glasses. I think its the salt that puts very minute scratches into the glasses. This leaves them looking as if they have had milk in them and they have not been washed properly. I think the reason only two have this mark is possibly because they have been put in the dishwasher more often than the others.

[buildersmate]

It isn't the salt, but the dishwasher powder. It contains quite an aggressive chemical component that can do this to glass. Not all powders have the component - the one from Waitrose didn't used to have it (remember reading it in Which? mag) but it is happening to me with even this powder now. It has etched the surface of the glass and you cannot remove it. However I can't explain why it impacts some glasses in a set and not others. I never put decent glasses in the machine - cheap ones get thrown away when they get too bad.

[Lucy Thomas]

There is a simple answer to the problem of dish-washer scum.

DON'T buy the dish-washers from them.

[adamhornsby]

Its not any of those, its probably your rinse aid. The rinse aid leaves things streaky, cloudy and water spotted if theres too much or not enough. Try tinkering about with the dosage, and top it up if its asking you.

[buildersmate]

You'd be able to wash it off if it was caused by the rinse aid.

[adamhornsby]

Im not sure you can, the cloudyness can't.
Myriad, are you washing cheap glasses, because that could be the trouble.

[buildersmate]

Sorry, mate. But cloudiness is caused by the caustic in the powder etching finely into the surface of the glass.

[adamhornsby]

The only other things I could think of then is:
Try using a delicate detergent for glasses and run a lower heat cycle when washing glasses, or just wash them by hand seperately.

[Myriad2112]

I'll ask the wife!

[HomeBody]

It's a common problem. My answer is to never spend a lot of money on glassware that I intend to put through the dishwasher. I rarely spend more than �1 a piece on everyday drinking glassware. Marks and Spencer sell glassware for as little as 50p.

Another observation that I have made is the problem appears faster if the glass is ridged. Anyone else notice this?

Special/expensive/handmade/heirloom glassware should only ever be washed by hand.