How to Care for Duralex Glassware So It Lasts Longer
By Vaisselle, verrerie et art de la table – Boutique Duralex ... | Published: 2026-10-13
Category: Tips & Care
Tempered Duralex glass is built to take knocks, but cloudiness and chips still happen. Follow this simple care routine to keep Picardie glasses and plates clear and chip-free for years.
Quick answer
Wash Duralex tempered glass in the dishwasher on a normal cycle with a rinse aid, or by hand in warm water. Skip sudden temperature changes, stack glasses rim-to-rim, and pre-rinse acidic drinks. This keeps glass clear and chip-free for years.
Why tempered glass needs a different routine
Duralex glass is tempered, meaning it is heated and cooled to build up surface compression. That makes it resistant to knocks and thermal shock compared to ordinary annealed glass, but it is not indestructible. The two most common complaints are cloudiness and edge chips, and both come from how the glass is washed and stored rather than from the glass itself.
Cloudiness is usually a film, not the glass failing. Hard-water minerals, too much detergent, and very high drying heat leave a haze that looks permanent but often is not. Edge chips come from contact: glasses knocking against each other in the dishwasher basket or being stacked rim-to-rim in the cupboard. Once you separate those two problems, the care routine becomes simple.
Dishwasher settings that protect the glass
Most Duralex glass is dishwasher safe, but the cycle matters. Use a normal or eco cycle with a rinse aid instead of a heavy pots-and-pans cycle. The intense heat and long wash of a heavy cycle do not clean glass better; they just expose it to more detergent and hotter drying, which is what etches and clouds the surface over time.
Load glasses on the top rack, spaced so they do not touch. If your machine has a glass or delicate setting, use it. Skip the heated dry or open the door after the final rinse to let them air-dry. Rinse aid is the single biggest upgrade for spot-free results, especially in hard-water areas.
Hand washing without clouding or chips
If you hand wash, use warm water, a small amount of mild dish soap, and a soft sponge. Avoid scouring pads and abrasive powders, which scratch the surface and give minerals a place to cling. Rinse in water that is the same temperature as the wash water; a sudden cold rinse on hot glass is the classic way to crack tempered glass.
For milk, juice, or wine residue, rinse the glass as soon as possible. Letting acidic or protein-rich drinks dry on the surface makes them harder to remove and encourages you to scrub harder than the glass needs. A short soak in warm water handles almost everything.
Storage that prevents chips and cracks
Never stack glasses rim-to-rim. The rim is the thinnest, most vulnerable part, and rim-on-rim contact is how most chips happen. Store glasses upright with a little space between them, or use a glass rack. If you are short on shelf height, stack them base-to-bowl only if the base fits inside the bowl without pressure.
Keep glasses away from the freezer and from the top of a hot appliance. Tempered glass handles thermal shock better than ordinary glass, but repeated extreme swings still shorten its life. Room-temperature storage is the safe default.
Your six-step Duralex care routine
- Step 1: Rinse drinks and food residue promptly: Give glasses and plates a quick warm rinse before residue dries. Acidic drinks and proteins are the hardest to remove once set. Checkpoint: if you have to scrub hard, you waited too long.
- Step 2: Load glasses on the top rack, spaced apart: Put glasses on the top rack and leave a finger-width between them so they cannot knock during the cycle. Do not let rims touch. Mistake to avoid: nesting glasses inside each other in the basket.
- Step 3: Choose a normal or eco cycle with rinse aid: Use a normal or eco wash and fill the rinse aid dispenser. Skip heavy-duty and high-heat cycles, which add detergent exposure and hot drying. Checkpoint: rinse aid is the cheapest fix for cloudy glass.
- Step 4: Skip heated dry or air-dry instead: Turn off heated dry or open the door after the final rinse. Air-drying removes the mineral-baking step that leaves spots. If your machine forces a hot dry, hand dry with a clean lint-free cloth.
- Step 5: Hand wash in matching water temperatures: When washing by hand, use warm water and mild soap, and rinse in water of the same temperature. Never pour cold water into a hot glass. Mistake to avoid: scouring pads and abrasive cleaners.
- Step 6: Store upright with space, never rim-to-rim: Keep glasses upright with a little room between them. Stack plates flat with a soft cloth between layers. Keep everything out of the freezer. Checkpoint: rims are the first thing to chip, so protect them first.
Picardie pieces and what the care routine protects
- Le Picardie - Verre à eau - Gris 36cl (Lot de 6): Le Picardie water glass, 36cl, set of 6, available in several colors and capacities, made of shock-resistant tempered glass. The 36cl size is a daily-use glass, so it sees the most dishwasher cycles. Spacing it on the top rack and using rinse aid keeps the tempered surface clear and the rim chip-free.
- Le Picardie - Mug - Transparent 48cl (Lot de 4): Le Picardie mug, 48cl, set of 4, with a large capacity and comfortable handle for coffee, iced drinks, smoothies, hot chocolate, and tea. Mugs are often hand washed or left to soak. Rinsing coffee and tea residue promptly and avoiding sudden cold rinses protects the handle and rim, which are the first places to chip.
- Picardie - Assiettes creuses x6 - 23cm - Vermeil: Picardie deep plates, 23cm, set of 6, in Vermeil, part of the Le Picardie series created in 1954 with a distinctive curved profile. Plates stack, so they need a different rule than glasses: stack them flat with a soft cloth between layers and avoid sliding them, which is how rims get nicked.
