Streaks and water spots can make your stemware look dirty even when it’s not. It can be frustrating and difficult to get wine glasses clean and worse, if not done properly, odors can penetrate the crystal and interfere with the aroma and flavour of your wine.

According to many experts it is perfectly safe to put your crystal stemware in the dishwasher.  They claim that the reason people fear doing it is because traditionally crystal often had a gold rim or other decorations that made it unsafe for machine washing and that reputation has stuck.  However, it is still important to remain cognizant of the length of any stems on your glasses.  Many a glass has been “de-stemmed” by either the machine’s rotating spray mechanism or the top of the dishwasher when the tray has been slid back in.

If you do elect to use the dishwasher it is suggested that you wash the stemware on its own to minimize the risk that a dish or utensil may shift during the wash and crack a glass.  Also use the air-dry setting as heat drying can dull glasses over time due to miniscule detergent particles that will be contained in the steam.

Those who oppose cleaning crystal stemware in the dishwasher claim dishwashers can cause hard water stains to appear on the glass.  They also say that some detergents can etch the surface of the glass.  Lastly, there is a possibility that vibration of the dishwasher can cause a piece to shatter.

If you wash your glasses by hand the experts recommend you hold each glass by the bowl, not by the stem, which is the most fragile part of the glass and may easily break.  Using hot water, swirl the water over the whole glass and use only a minuscule amount of dishwashing liquid on the outside, including the rim.  Then rinse inside and out with hot water to remove any soap. 

Once done, dry the glasses immediately in order to avoid water spots.  For best results it is recommended that you use microfibre towels, one in each hand.  This will void any spots, lint or finger marks being left on the glass.  Use two towels; hold onto the glass’s base with one towel-covered hand and the bottom of the glass’s bowl with the other. Then turn gently in one direction and rub lightly on any water spots.

No matter which method you choose for washing your glassware, immediately following use be sure to rinse the glassware in hot water to remove any leftover wine or sediment.

My own experience has been that wine glasses can get broken using either method.  My only word of caution is I would avoid putting any family heirlooms in the dishwasher.  Most of today’s crystal manufacturers will indicate whether their product is dishwasher safe.

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