Get foggy glasses sparkling again with 'magic' kitchen cupboard staple

Banish foggy smears from your glasses for good with this easy hack.

For many of us, washing our kitchen glassware is one of the first jobs when it comes to washing up. We all know need clean, hot water with plenty of soap to get your drinking glasses and glass bowls gleaming again - but that doesn't always do the trick.

Sometimes, no matter how clean you think you've got your glasses, they can look foggy and misted once they dry. You often only notice this when it's time to put them away or use them for a nice cold drink, but it can put you off as they look unclean.

This misted appearance is caused by hard water, so is much more noticeable if you live in an area where the water you get from your taps is hard instead of soft. The hard water causes deposits such as limescale to sit on your glasses and makes them look cloudy, and can affect your dishes whether you wash up by hand or use a dishwasher.

But thankfully, there is something you can do to get your glasses sparkling again - and you only need one item that you probably already have in your kitchen cupboard.

The hack was uncovered after a woman on Reddit asked for help with her foggy glasses. She said she had tried putting them in the dishwasher and had even hand-cleaned them afterwards with a "non-scratch sponge" and washing up liquid.

Cleaning fans were quick to jump to the woman's aid, explaining that the foggy appearance was caused by hard water and recommending one common product to help fix it - white vinegar.

White vinegar is a common cooking ingredient and is also used for a variety of cleaning jobs around the house, so most of us will already have a bottle at home. If you don't, you can pick it up at supermarkets for as little as 35p.

One person suggested: "I flip one cup right side up, fill it with white vinegar, and run the dishwasher. It may take more than one or two cycles, but that should eliminate the scale."

Another added: "Hard water. Looks like lime deposits. Try wiping the glass with vinegar, rinse and dry them. They don't look etched yet."

Others recommended using a product called Lemi Shine, which is a dishwasher detergent additive sold in the US. You can buy the product on Amazon, or use a product such as Finish which can be found in UK supermarkets.

Someone said: " We have extremely hard water where I live, so this is common. For my dishwasher, we use a little bit of Lemi Shine in the load alongside the detergent. Works like magic."

As someone else posted: "Lemi Shine in the soap compartment, detergent in the bottom. Will change your life!"