Glasses won't be cloudy or scummy from dishwasher if you use 1 natural ingredient

There's nothing more frustrating than unloading the dishwasher to find your glassware looking cloudy, streaky, or covered in a scummy film. Instead of sparkling, they look dull and dirty - and no amount of polishing seems to help.

Cloudy or scummy glasses are a common problem, but thankfully, they're also fixable. Drinking glasses cleaned in hard water are prone to mineral deposits like calcium and magnesium that cling to surfaces and create a cloudy, milky coating. According to Whirlpool, this build up can usually be removed with the right steps.

Experts recommend first doing a "quick spot test" to check if your cloudy glasses are caused by hard water or etching.

Etching happens when detergent is combined with soft water, high water temperature and low soil levels, eroding the surface, leaving behind small scratches.

"Dip a dish rag in vinegar and gently rub the glass in a circular motion," they state. "If film begins to lift from the glass, mineral deposits are responsible for its milky appearance and you can continue to step two to remove them. If the glass remains foggy, etching is likely the cause and it can't be fixed."

However, hard water and mineral deposits can be treated with a quick fix: vinegar. Start by placing glasses sideways in the sink or in a deep dishpan, then cover them with vinegar and allow them to soak for 15 minutes.

Next, drain the sink or remove glasses from the dishpan, then gently hand wash them using dish soap and warm water. Dry them with a microfiber cloth, as air drying could cause water spots to form.

To prevent mineral build-up in the future, exerts at Whirlpool suggest using a rinse agent and regularly cleaning your dishwasher.

If your glasses are coming out of the dishwasher with scum, spots, or little bits of food - it's also an easy fix. Start by checking and cleaning your dishwasher filter - it can quickly get clogged with grease or food debris, which then gets redeposited on your dishes.

Next, run an empty cycle with a cup of white vinegar on the top rack to break down grease and mineral buildup. For extra sparkle, sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda on the bottom of the machine and run a short hot cycle.

Also make sure you're not overloading the dishwasher as glasses need space for water to circulate. Finally, use a good quality dishwasher detergent and rinse aid to prevent residue and improve drying. After a couple of cleans, your glasses should come out crystal clear again, according to experts.