Thinking about using muriatic acid to etch glasses.. has anyone done this?

[Poolnerdgrandma]

So, we soften our water, and over time, all our (not expensive to begin with) wineglasses have become etched and unsightly. This is NOT hard water stains... It's the opposite.
We had decided to pitch them all and buy new inexpensive glasses, when it occurred to me that maybe I could use muriatic acid (in some percentage mixture) to etch the glasses to create a uniform frosted look instead of the ugly streaks we have now. (Note, we are going to take additional steps to reduce etching in the future.. less detergent, gentler detergent, no heat drying, and protective rinse agent)
So... Toss, or give it a shot?

 

[mguzzy]

er um.. probably not. back in my chem lab days we used an acid bath to wash our glassware.. they never got etched. If you want to etch your glassware use something like this:
Armour Etch

Can you post a pic of your glasses?

 

[homegameroom]

i'm with @mguzzy ; I used to use hydrofluoric acid in a previous life. Acids that etch glass are nasty to be around and, of course, dangerous.

Your local craft store will probably have something to etch your wine glasses similar (or the same thing) as the Armor Etch. All of my glasses are plastic since they are usually used around the pool. ?

 

[Poolnerdgrandma]

Thanks all! I'll get some armor etch, or go back to the original "pitch'em!" plan. Attaching one of the sad glasses. We have tried CLR and vinegar. Pretty sure it's etching, NOT hard water stain.

 

[mguzzy]

Not to doubt, but have you looked at the "stain" under a magnifying glass? If its etching you'll be able to see under magnification. If its a deposit try acid washing the glass and see if it takes it off.... All the appropriate disclaimers apply!

 

[homegameroom]

Yuk! My sister had the same problem. Go with plastic - that way if anyone drops their wine glass there are no sharp pieces to clean up around the pool.

 

[ajw22]

Yuk! My sister had the same problem. Go with plastic - that way if anyone drops their wine glass there are no sharp pieces to clean up around the pool.

Around the pool and deck we are plastic only. We have all types of plastic dishes and glasses for outdoor use.

 

[Poolnerdgrandma]

We're plastic only around the pool, but with the holidays coming I'd like to have pretty glasses, too!

Not to doubt, but have you looked at the "stain" under a magnifying glass? If its etching you'll be able to see under magnification. If its a deposit try acid washing the glass and see if it takes it off.... All the appropriate disclaimers apply!

The other reason I think it's etching is that there is no hard water ring on the base of the glass. And we have soft water. I'll try to find a magnifying glass and take another look. I'm now on the lookout for gentle dishwasher detergents. Hubby has many fine qualities, but I have learned that having things that we can't put in the dishwasher is a non-starter...

 

[gonfishin]

This thread got me thinking about some glasses I removed from my mom's house.

I found this Martha Stewart write up

How to Clean Cloudy Glasses So They Sparkle Again—and Prevent Future Fogginess

Glasses become cloudy when hard water dries on the surface of the drinkware. Learn how to clean cloudy glasses and prevent future fogginess, according to cleaning experts.

www.marthastewart.com

I know you said you tried vinegar, so maybe try acetone (nail polish remover)?

 

[Poolnerdgrandma]

This thread got me thinking about some glasses I removed from my mom's house.

I found this Martha Stewart write up

How to Clean Cloudy Glasses So They Sparkle Again—and Prevent Future Fogginess

Glasses become cloudy when hard water dries on the surface of the drinkware. Learn how to clean cloudy glasses and prevent future fogginess, according to cleaning experts.

www.marthastewart.com

I know you said you tried vinegar, so maybe try acetone (nail polish remover)?

I think I have in the past, but I'll certainly try again!

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Hubby has many fine qualities, but I have learned that having things that we can't put in the dishwasher is a non-starter...

This is the root of the problem. Wineglasses don’t do well in the dishwasher. Your 2 choices are (1) hand wash them or (2) never let them get empty so they never need to be washed.

 

[Katodude]

I find it very hard to believe that a dishwasher would etch a wine glass. How do your other glasses (ie drinking glasses) do in the dishwasher? I have some low end wine glasses that I use for my in laws and they do just fine in the dishwasher. All the good stuff is washed and dried by hand.

Now my plastic glasses get all cloudy very quickly and that makes me crazy. I have tried everything to clean those and nothing seems to work.

 

[setsailsoon]

Thanks all! I'll get some armor etch, or go back to the original "pitch'em!" plan. Attaching one of the sad glasses. We have tried CLR and vinegar. Pretty sure it's etching, NOT hard water stain.

Those actually look like hard water stains. Are you sure your softener is working? Could be it's not regenerating often enough or something in the softener head has an issue. You may want to test the house water for total hardness just to be sure.

 

[Brad_C]

I find it very hard to believe that a dishwasher would etch a wine glass.

It absolutely will. Most dishwashers use a caustic solution to saponify oil and grease and that will absolutely etch glass. Fine glass in quality wine glasses seems particularly susceptible.

 

[Arizonarob]

Soft water will etch glasses in a dishwasher, also it can dull knives as well. Check the temperature of your hot water, (make sure it’s not to hot), use a good drying agent (Finish, etc), DONT use a heated drying cycle, and crack the door when the cycle is done to let the steam out.

Glass etching in dishwasher

 

[Poolnerdgrandma]

New glasses are on the way. Plan is to cut the powder pods in half, use a rinse agent, no heat dry, rotate the glasses (FIFO), and handwash as much as I can. Fingers crossed.

 

[duraleigh]

muriatic (and many other acids) are stored safely in glassware....it doesn't etch.

What it will do is dissolve calcium buildup on your glassware and "clean" it usually so it looks new.

As a side note, we began hand washing and drying our ordinary glassware a year or so ago.....no particular reason.....it was just convenient.

In that period of time, virtually ALL the calcium buildup has disappeared.......simply by towel drying. The calcium can't deposit if you dry the water off.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Plan is to cut the powder pods in half, use a rinse agent, no heat dry, rotate the glasses (FIFO), and handwash as much as I can.

I think the pods are the culprit. I refuse to use them because they are "one size fits all water". I use good old powder detergent, which allows me to use less with my relatively soft water (my tap water reads 30 ppm CH with my test kit).

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Why cut the pods up when you can just buy liquid or powder detergent and use less.

Never use "Lemon" type dishwashing detergent. That stuff is hard on good dishes and glassware.

My good wine glasses get handwashed. I do like those new roundish stem-free wine glasses you see everywhere now. They're pretty inexpensive and I'd toss those in the dishwasher.

Maddie

 

[cfherrman]

A year or two I experimented with ma for house use and would "dilute" 31% to 8 or 16% and had very great results at removing calcium scale from years of 250 ch abuse on the house. After some rusty drains and a possible broken dishwasher (pump out) I found that if vinegar doesn't do it you should really find a different way as grabbing the big hammer even at "8%" can be a bit harsh.