Crystals are fragile and so they require gentle handling. Treated with care, they will bring you pleasure for years. It will be important for you to know how to care for your crystal as even dust can act as an abrasive and cause scratches.

What is Crystal

The meaning of crystal changes according to each country. The word "crystal" often refers to the presence of lead. According to European Union rules, glass goods containing less than 4% lead are defined as "glass." Goods containing more than 10% lead are defined as "crystal," and goods containing more than 30% lead are defined as "highly leaded crystal."

In the USA glass is defined as "crystal" if it contains only 1% lead. In the Czech Republic, the term "crystal" is used for any high quality glass and "leaded crystal" means crystal containing more than 24% lead oxide.
Preciosa Crystal figurines are made of 31% lead crystal and Crystal Florida figurines are made of 24% lead crystal for maximum sparkle. Asfour Crystal figurines and laser-cut crystal collectibles are made of 30% sparkling lead crystal.

Warning

To clean the figurines, never use a dishwasher, hot water (over 104F/ 40C), strong detergents and washing agents containing sand or similar abrasives. The figurines might get irretrievably damaged. The figurines are designed for interiors with average temperature and humidity, Long exposure to sunlight and extreme climatic conditions has a damaging effect on them.

Remember, most damage happens when cleaning or moving pieces. Therefore, you have to be careful each time you clean a piece. When moving objects, always carry one object or one part of an object at a time. It is best to place your hands around the body of the object rather than using an existing handle, rim, or spout for support. In general, it is not a good idea to routinely wash the pieces. Each time a piece is handled for cleaning there is a greater risk of breakage through accidents and mishandling. It is better to protect pieces from soiling and dust in the first place, rather than washing them too often.

To maintain the beauty and power of your crystals, always keep them away from dust and oily residues. Fingerprints will disappear when you use a small amount of glass cleaner with a soft, lint free cloth or wash your fine crystal and glassware by hand in moderately warm water with a mild lemon detergent and 1/4 cup ammonia (to prevent spotting). Rinse in clean water and air dry on a rack.

Crystal Cleaning Tips :

·         Don’t use any kind of detergent unless for some reason grease has gotten on them. Detergents, even organic ones, tend to leave a film on crystals.

·         Dust can act as an abrasive and can “scratch” the surface. Make sure you only clean with a mild detergent and use a lint free cloth for drying.

·         Do not store crystal glasses upside down as it can put stress to the rim, which is very delicate.

·         For glasses with gold rims or an edge design, never soak in solutions containing ammonia. Stick to using a mild detergent only.

·         Always hand wash when possible or if you are brave enough to put your crystal in the dishwasher (not recommended), make sure you use a very gentle cycle and mild detergent. When washing by hand and after rinsing, fill the bowls or flutes with clean hot water and leave them sit until you are ready to dry them.

·         Using a clean cotton dish towel will polish and clean a warm wet glass very quickly. If you let the glasses air dry and then try to dry them you can wind up with smears and streaks on the glass.

·         When washing, use only warm water AND rinse with warm water. Quick changes in temperature can cause cracking or clouding.

·         If you notice that your crystal has a haze or clouding look to it and are having trouble removing it, you need to move to the next level and try cleaning with a hard water stain remover such as CLR or Lime Away. Some people have even used #000 very fine steel wool with a mild dish detergent to remove stubborn haze. But I wouldn’t resort to the steel wool unless none of the other solutions worked.

·         When washing, make sure you have a rubber matt in the sink bottom, or a towel just incase your hands are slippery and the glass drops.

·         Wash your crystal before food can harden. This will make it much easier to clean without having to put hard pressure on the item or scrap it causing scratches.

·         Add a little vinegar to the dish water to keep hard water spots from appearing.

Crystal is a beautiful keepsake that can be handed down from generation to generation. Taking these extra steps will preserve your crystal for years to come!

Post-sale Service

If repairs are necessary, or should you wish to acquire additional information about our crystal products, please contact us.