or a 4 piece set here).
{duralex still life}
The only problem is that they are seriously foggy. I've already gone through my bleaching routine so I know they're sterilized and they look perfectly normal when wet, but once they dry you can see the residue. Sad.
{duralex stacks}
I'm thinking it's hard water deposits from the previous owner's dishwasher. I've been reading up on solutions and it looks like I'll start with a simple vinegar soak and if that doesn't work I'll move on to more drastic methods. I'll report back. I'm determined to salvage them because they are truly amazing glasses (made in France since 1939, stackable, handle hot or cold liquids, difficult to break) and they don't deserve to be tossed.
{duralex outside}
{duralex inside}
They are lovely! :). Hope you're able to get them sparkling and shining!
ReplyDeleteI would try rubbing them with bi-carb if they are glass. I find it cleans everything.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent find, Rachel. I've been eyeing those glasses for a bit now.
ReplyDeleteMy folks have hard water, and lemon juice works wonders for them; away, residue!
Yes, lemon juice may work! Good luck!
ReplyDeletehttp://justeventeux.blogspot.com/
Embrace the fogginess.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom uses a product called Lime-Away to get off hard water residue. Good luck!
ReplyDeletewonderful!
ReplyDeletemy husband especially loves collecting thrifted glasses.
www.wild-and-precious.com
great find! good luck with getting rid of the buildup.
ReplyDeletealso, today i tagged you for a "sunshine award"
cheers!
Hm.. yeah vinegar is a cure all for everything! If that doesn't work though.. just think of them as having extra character! Aha! They are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteyes, i love vinegar for everything too.
ReplyDeletegood luck with it
Seriously nice find! Hope the vinegar soak does the trick - my parents swear by adding vinegar to the end of their dishwasher cycle for that same issue.
ReplyDeleteOh - if you have a dishwasher or access to a dishwasher you can run them through without dish soap but with lime-scale remover! I think you can use fabric softener too but definitely lime-scale remover!!
ReplyDeleteVinegar. Vinegar. Vinegar. Our water is CRAZY hard, and I buy vinegar by the gallons. I think we're going to use our tax return $ to buy a water softener.
ReplyDeleteOur water is very hard as well and last fall our softener died... when it did it left all of our dishes foggy. Vinegar will work - what I did was fill up the sink with really hot water and vinegar, I let them soak and then gently washed them (wash rag) in the vinegar water solution they were sitting in, rinsed them really hot again and let them dry - should work!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this works for hard water deposits, but it certainly works incredibly well for just general stains inside mugs & glasses. Just put some salt in the glass, add a little cold water, and rub the salt around the inside of the glass. It acts the way an exfoliant does on skin... scrubs off all the old stained crap and reveals the clean glass beneath!
ReplyDeleteI think you found such lovely glasses. If vinegar doesn't work maybe you could make a paste from baking soda and lemon juice. Or vinegar and baking soda. Good luck, hope something works for you!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I enjoy reading your blog
vinegar should do the trick!
ReplyDeleteand you know, duralex glasses are made just so for the ease of dipping cookies into milk. i know from experience, obvi.
i loved reading all of these suggestions as i have the same problem with several of my vintage vases! such a great find, rach.
ReplyDeleteI've got the Ikea look nalikes, because my dishwasher clouds all my glasses eventually. I'd love a solution, but haven't found one yet.
ReplyDeleteNot to rain on any parades, but sometimes the cloudiness is permanent etching from the dishwasher. The combination of soft water, hot temperatures and too much detergent can cause it. Hopefully this isn't the case, I love those glasses!
ReplyDeleteA sad second on that last comment. I long ago quit putting my glasses (or anything glass-like) in the dishwasher. Since electing to handwash all my glassware, the foggy problem seems to have disappeared. Good luck, though. They are lovely!
ReplyDeleteI learned something new today. I didn't know those little glasses had such history. I am sure you will be able to remove the foggy residue!
ReplyDelete@ everyone with suggestions - you guys are so smart! i'll proceed with the de-fogging attempts this weekend.
ReplyDeleteand i am a little afraid that years of dishwasher use has permanently ruined these beauties (although they're supposed to be dishwasher safe!), but i'll try everything before i decide to let it go.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI had to clean some vintage glasses from my husband's grandmother. They were badly scratched too and I found that cleaning them with toothpaste (the white kind like a polishing agent) and my finger helped a bit.
i completley agree they don't deserve to be tossed... let us know what solution ends up working!
ReplyDelete