Cloudy cut glass is a common care complaint. Two different problems look alike in a photograph: a washable mineral film, and a permanent etch from heat and detergent. You need to tell them apart before you try to restore the shine.
EDO 1834 will not promise a restore. Film can often be lifted. Etching stays. The useful work is the test, then a milder wash so the next glass does not follow.
If the glass is only dirty, start with How to Wash a Cut Glass Whiskey Glass. This post is for the haze that remains after a normal wash.
Two kinds of cloud
Mineral film is a deposit. Hard water leaves calcium and magnesium on the surface as drops dry. Soap that was not rinsed can join that deposit. The glass looks dull or spotted when dry. The cuts fill first because water sits there.
Etching is damage to the glass itself. Very hot water, harsh detergent, and a dishwasher cycle can roughen the surface. The glass looks cloudy or rainbowed. The feel can be slightly dry or chalky. Polish will not put the original skin back.
Both can appear on Japanese cut glass and on plain glass. The cut makes film more visible because the pattern holds drops. The cut does not make etching more likely by itself. Heat and detergent do that.
How to tell film from etching
Wet the glass. If the cloud fades or disappears under water and returns as it dries, you are looking at film. If the cloud stays while the glass is wet, you are looking at etching, or at a mix of both.
Feel the bowl. Film is often smooth. Heavy scale can feel rough, but it will still change when wet. Etching stays dull wet or dry. A rainbow sheen that does not rinse away is also a sign of surface damage, not of a spot you missed.
Look at where the haze sits. Film follows drips, the waterline, and the grooves. Etching is often even across the inside of the bowl, the part that faced the heat and the detergent. A dishwasher rack line can mark the start of the problem.
What vinegar can lift
White vinegar can lift mineral film. Fill a bowl with equal parts warm water and white vinegar, or dampen a cloth with vinegar and work the cuts. Let the glass sit a few minutes. Do not soak for hours. Wash with mild soap after, rinse fully, and dry with a lint-free cloth.
This is a film method. It is not a polish for etching. If the glass clears while wet and stays clearer when dry, stop there. Repeat once if a ring remains. Do not move to oven cleaner, rust remover, or powdered grit. Those will etch a surface that was only filmed.
Lemon juice can do similar work to vinegar. A commercial glass restorer may also lift film. We do not name a brand here. We also do not claim a finish after treatment. Dry the glass and look at it in daylight, not only under a bright kitchen lamp.
What stays, and how to stop it
If the glass stays cloudy when wet, the haze is likely etching. Keep the glass if you still like to use it. The drink is fine. The shine will not return to the original state. Do not promise yourself a restore, and do not throw good washing time at a permanent change.
Stop the cause. Hand wash. Use mild soap. Rinse fully. Dry at once so hard water cannot sit in the cuts. Keep cut glass out of the dishwasher unless a listing says otherwise. We do not write dishwasher-safe on a piece we have not verified. Heat plus detergent is the usual etch.
Store upright so rims do not grind. Do not stack. If your tap is very hard, a last rinse in filtered water will cut new film. Read How to Care for Cut Glass for the short rule, and Care for the shop page.
A cloudy glass is not a reason to buy a new set on the first spot. Test with water. Lift film if it lifts. Change the wash so the next glass stays clear. Shop whiskey glasses when you do want another piece, not as a substitute for care.
Related reading: How to Care for Cut Glass · How to Wash a Cut Glass Whiskey Glass · Care · Whiskey Glasses · Tumblers · The First Pour