Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Dishwasher Glasses Are Cloudy, Filmed, or Gritty

A diagnostic for glassware that comes out hazy, coated, or gritty — the thirty-second vinegar test that tells a hard-water film from permanent etching, and what each one means for what you do next
ApplicabilityDomestic dishwashers washing glass drinkware and dishware on a household water supply
Task time11 min to 19 min editorial estimate
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-08-04
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

A dishwasher that leaves glasses cloudy, hazy, or gritty usually has one of two different problems, and telling them apart in under a minute changes what you do next. A hard water film is a coating of mineral or detergent residue sitting on the glass; a light rub with white vinegar dissolves it. Etching is permanent damage to the glass surface itself; the same rub does nothing, because there is no coating to remove. This page is a diagnostic: the vinegar rub test to sort one from the other, a cleaning method for a film, and what an etched glass means for how you keep using it. It does not repair the dishwasher and it does not install or adjust a water softener.

Whirlpool's own support pages and GE Appliances' own support pages were both checked for this page, and they do not agree on what drives etching: Whirlpool names hard water as the primary cause, while GE Appliances ties it to a mismatch between the detergent dose and the water hardness, in either direction. This page prints both accounts rather than pick a favorite, and routes a reader who wants a firm answer to the dishwasher or the detergent manufacturer. A separate page on this site covers measuring your own water hardness with a test strip, and another covers cleaning the dishwasher's own filter, a different cause of grit on dishes.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
Soft clothUse the cloth to rub the test area without a scratch on the glass.
White vinegarUse the plain white vinegar for the rub test and the rinse method.
Citric acid dishwasher cleaner optionalUse this as an alternative to a vinegar rinse for a film.
Pen and paperWrite each check and its result before you speak to a technician.

Look at the glass

Estimated 1 min to 2 min

NOTEA crack or a chip is a different problem from haze.
WARNING

WAIT FOR THE DISHWASHER INTERIOR TO COOL BEFORE YOU REMOVE A GLASS.
Hot water and hot glass can burn your skin.

  1. Remove a glass from the dishwasher after a complete cycle.
    <1m
  2. Look at the glass in bright, indirect light.
    • Direct sunlight can hide a faint haze.
    <1m
  3. Examine the rim and the body of the glass for a crack or a chip.
    <1m
WARNING

DISCARD A GLASS WITH A CRACK OR A CHIP BEFORE YOU WASH IT AGAIN.
A crack or a chip can spread with more use. A broken edge can cut your hand.

  1. Discard a glass with a crack or a chip.
    • A crack or a chip is a different problem from haze.
    <1m

Sort a film from etching

Estimated 1 min

Primary cause of glassware etching
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE DISHWASHER OR THE DETERGENT MANUFACTURER FOR YOUR MODEL AND YOUR WATER SUPPLY

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Whirlpool and GE Appliances give different accounts of what drives etching, and this page does not pick one. Whirlpool ('What to Do about Filming or Etching on Glassware', whirlpool-filming-or-etching-on-glassware, accessed 2026-08-04) states: 'The primary culprit of glassware etching is often the quality of water. Hard water, rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, can leave unsightly residues on glass surfaces.' GE Appliances ('Dishwasher - Etching on Glassware', ge-dishwasher-etching-on-glassware, accessed 2026-08-04) states: 'Etching of glassware can be caused by an over-concentration of granules in water or too little water. That over-concentration can be from too much detergent in a soft water situation or too little detergent in a hard water situation.' Whirlpool names hard water itself as the primary cause. GE Appliances instead ties etching to the detergent dose set wrong for the water hardness, which it says can happen with either soft or hard water. This page prints both accounts and does not average them; a reader who wants a firm answer for their own water supply is routed to the dishwasher or the detergent manufacturer.
  1. Wipe a small amount of white vinegar onto the hazy area with a soft cloth.
    • Whirlpool gives this rub test to sort a film from etching.
    <1m
  2. Rub the area gently with the cloth.
    <1m
  3. Look at the glass again for haze.
    <1m
  4. Treat the glass as filmed if the rub removes the haze.
    • A film is a layer on the glass.
    • Correct care can remove it.
    <1m
  5. Treat the glass as etched if the haze stays after you rub it.
    • A film sits on top of the glass surface.
    • A change to the glass itself does not rub away.
    <1m

Clean off a film

Estimated 4 min to 6 min

NOTEThis section removes a film. It does not remove etching.
NOTICE

REMOVE METAL ITEMS FROM THE DISHWASHER BEFORE YOU RUN A CITRIC ACID OR A VINEGAR CYCLE.
Acid can pit or discolor metal utensils and racks.

  1. Remove metal items such as silverware from the dishwasher before you run this cycle.
    <1m
  2. Place the filmed glassware and dishware in the dishwasher.
    <1m
WARNING

DO NOT ADD A DISHWASHER DETERGENT THAT CONTAINS CHLORINE BLEACH TO A VINEGAR OR A CITRIC ACID CYCLE.
Bleach and an acid together can release chlorine gas. Chlorine gas can burn your eyes and your airway.

  1. Pour a citric acid cleaner or one cup of white vinegar into the detergent cup.
    • GE Appliances gives one cup of vinegar for this rinse.
    <1m
  2. Do not add a separate detergent to this cycle.
    <1m
  3. Run a complete cycle.
    <1m
WARNING

WAIT FOR THE DISHWASHER INTERIOR TO COOL BEFORE YOU REMOVE THE GLASSWARE.
Hot water and hot glass can burn your skin.

  1. Remove the glassware after the interior cools.
    <1m
  2. Look at the glassware again for haze.
    <1m
  3. Make sure that you use a phosphate-free detergent for a dishwasher.
    • Whirlpool recommends a phosphate-free detergent to reduce film.
    <1m
  4. Make sure that the rinse aid dispenser is full.
    • Whirlpool and Bosch both recommend a rinse aid to reduce spots and film.
    <1m
  5. Read your own dishwasher documentation for a water hardness setting.
    • Your local water utility can often give you this value directly.
    <1m

Handle an etched glass

Estimated 1 min

NOTEThis section explains etching. No method reverses it.
  1. Accept that an etched glass will not become clear again.
    • Whirlpool and GE Appliances both say etching is permanent.
    <1m
  2. Decide whether to keep the etched glass for use or discard it.
    • This kind of change is cosmetic, not a crack or a chip.
    <1m
  3. Match the detergent dose to your water hardness.
    • GE Appliances ties etching to the wrong detergent dose for your water hardness.
    • Too much detergent in soft water and too little in hard water can both cause it.
    <1m

Decide the next step

Estimated 4 min to 8 min

  1. Write down what the vinegar test showed and what you checked.
    1m
  2. Correct the detergent dose, the rinse aid, and the water hardness setting.
    <1m
  3. Speak to the support line of the dishwasher manufacturer if a film still returns.
    2m
  4. Speak to a water treatment professional if you want to soften or change your household water supply.
    1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

hard water film
Also called: white film on glasses, white residue on dishes, cloudy glasses from dishwasher, chalky film, water spots on glasses, dishwasher leaving grit, gritty glasses
glass etching
Also called: etched glasses dishwasher, permanently cloudy glasses, frosted glass look, glass corrosion
rinse aid
Also called: Jet-Dry, drying agent, rinse agent
water hardness
Also called: hard water, soft water, water softener setting
dishwasher detergent
Also called: dish soap, dishwasher tablet, dishwasher pod, dishwasher powder
citric acid dishwasher cleaner
Also called: dishwasher cleaner, descaling cleaner, citric acid rinse

When to use a professional

This page is about haze, cloudiness, and grit on glassware. It does not repair a mechanical fault in the dishwasher.

Discard a glass with a crack or a chip. This page gives no repair for broken glass.

This page does not install or adjust a whole-house water softener. Speak to a water treatment professional for that work.

Correct the detergent dose, the rinse aid, and the water hardness setting. Speak to the support line of the dishwasher manufacturer if a film still returns after that.

Speak to a qualified appliance technician if the dishwasher fails to clean food from dishes, not only glassware. That symptom points to the spray arm, the filter, or the heating element, not to water chemistry.

Common questions

Why are my glasses cloudy after they come out of the dishwasher?

Almost always one of two things: a coating sitting on the glass, or permanent damage to the glass itself. Whirlpool and GE Appliances both describe a hard-water or detergent film as a coating that ordinary cleaning can remove, and etching as a change to the glass surface that cannot be undone. This page's rub test with a little white vinegar tells you which one you have in under a minute. Once you know which, the rest of the page tells you what to do about it.

How can I tell a hard water film from etching?

Wipe a small amount of white vinegar onto the hazy area and rub it gently with a soft cloth. Whirlpool's own instructions give this as the test: if the haze rubs off, it is a film; if it stays, it is etching. A film comes from minerals or detergent residue sitting on top of the glass, so an acid like vinegar dissolves it. Etching has already changed the glass surface itself, so nothing rubs it away.

Can etched glasses be fixed?

No. Whirlpool and GE Appliances both say etching cannot be reversed once it has happened, because the surface of the glass has changed, not just its cleanliness. Vinegar, citric acid, and commercial dishwasher cleaners all work by dissolving a coating, and there is no coating on an etched glass for them to dissolve. GE Appliances notes that lead crystal resists etching far better than ordinary glass, which is worth knowing when you replace a glass that keeps etching.

Does hard water or soft water cause the etching?

The two manufacturers checked for this page do not fully agree. Whirlpool names hard water itself as the main cause. GE Appliances instead says etching comes from the detergent dose being wrong for your water, in either direction: too much detergent in soft water, or too little in hard water. This page prints both rather than pick one, so check your own dishwasher and detergent instructions for what they recommend for your water hardness.

My dishwasher leaves grit, not haze, on my dishes. Is that the same problem?

Probably not. The film and etching this page covers both feel smooth; they change how the glass looks, not how it feels. Actual grit is more often food residue recirculated by a clogged filter or a blocked spray arm. This site's dishwasher filter cleaning page covers that check separately, and it is worth trying before you assume a water chemistry cause.

Is it safe to run vinegar or citric acid in my dishwasher to clean cloudy glasses?

Yes, as its own cycle with no other detergent added, which is how GE Appliances gives the method. Never add vinegar or citric acid to a cycle that also has a chlorine-bleach dishwasher detergent in it. The CDC warns that household chlorine bleach can release chlorine gas when it is mixed with certain other cleaning products, and that gas burns the eyes and the airway.

Will a water softener stop the film or the etching?

It can stop a hard-water film, but it does not automatically stop etching. GE Appliances specifically warns that too much detergent in newly softened water can itself cause etching, so a detergent dose that was correct for hard water needs to be reduced once your water is softer. Check your detergent's own instructions for a softened-water dose whenever your water hardness changes.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1What to Do about Filming or Etching on GlasswareWhirlpool Corporation (Whirlpool Product Help) · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  2. Tier 1How to Prevent Etching Glasses in the DishwasherWhirlpool Corporation (Whirlpool blog, whirlpool.com) · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31 · automated link check returned network error: The read operation timed out — verified by hand
  3. Tier 1Dishwasher - White Film on Glassware, Dishware and the InteriorGE Appliances · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  4. Tier 1Dishwasher - Etching on GlasswareGE Appliances · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  5. Tier 1Why do glasses go cloudy in the dishwasher?BSH Home Appliances (Bosch UK customer service) · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  6. Tier 1Chlorine — Chemical Fact SheetCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04

  1. v1 · 2026-08-04First draft, scaffolded as doc_type diagnostic per the backlog note. Built from six tier-1 sources read in full on 2026-08-04: two from Whirlpool (its own Product Help site's filming-or-etching article, and its own whirlpool.com blog article), two from GE Appliances' own support site (the white-film article and the etching article), one from Bosch's own UK consumer-support site, and CDC's chlorine chemical fact sheet for the bleach-plus-acid hazard behind the vinegar and citric acid cleaning steps. ONE SPECIFICATION PUBLISHES AS CONSULT-THE-MANUFACTURER, with a conflict_note naming both sources: the primary cause of etching, where Whirlpool names hard water and GE Appliances instead names a detergent dose mismatched to the water hardness in either direction. The Whirlpool blog's 120-140 degF hot-water figure was read and deliberately not published as a specification on this page: it is a general detergent-performance range, not specific to this diagnostic, and this site's check-hot-water-temperature record already carries the sourced safety and Legionella-control figures for household hot water with its own conflict note, so this page names the factor and routes there instead of repeating it. NOT PUBLISHED as a source: a Whirlpool Canada blog covering the same topic (whirlpool.ca) was seen in search results and not opened, since the two whirlpool.com/producthelp.whirlpool.com sources already gave a first-party account and brief §1.5 counsels against reading a third page that would only restate the same publisher's position. Several tier-3 forum threads (justanswer.com, houzz.com) surfaced in search and were not opened or cited, consistent with rule 10 and the tier-3 rule in sourcing.md. This record deliberately does not repeat the dishwasher filter cleaning method or the water hardness test strip method: both already have their own published, sourced page on this site (clean-dishwasher-filter, measure-water-hardness-with-a-test-strip), and this diagnostic names them as related checks rather than duplicating their content.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

The comment system is not connected yet. Comments are stored in GitHub Discussions through Giscus, outside this site, so that a redeploy cannot destroy them.