I’m up for a challenge! When I unboxed these vintage 1978 Snoopy glasses by Anchor Hocking, I was devastated to see the discoloration. Luckily, a quick fingernail scratch test revealed that there was a chance of removing all the ugly tarnish and restoring the original colors. The stain ranged from a light dirty brown to a dark silvery-grey tarnish and was just on the printed design.
Cleaning the Glasses
What didn’t Work
While dish soap, water and a lot of elbow grease was working, it was taking a long time to remove the blemish. Next, I tried something a little harsher: Acetone or nail polish remover. I first tested it on a small spot on the copyright information, just to be sure it wouldn’t remove any of the printed design. It didn’t remove the paint, but it also didn’t do anything to the discoloration.
Successful Glass Cleaning
I decided to try something a little unconventional from my collectible cleaning product stash: Wizard’s Crystal Clear Plastic Cleaner and Polish. This product is intended for use on plastic motorcycle parts such as clear windshields, headlights, etc. The formula is non-abrasive, so I felt comfortable trying it out on these glasses without damaging them further. I was so surprised by the results! It easily cleans off the discoloration from the Snoopy glassware. Not only does it work quickly, it also leaves the glass looking as good as new.
The printing on the glass was done with two colors. First the white layer was printed, then the colored layer. This creates an embossed surface, not a perfectly flat surface. A little bit of extra strength was required to get in the smaller grooves created by the layered printing. Even with this, it only took around five minutes a glass to get them to looking beautiful again.
While Wizard’s Crystal Clear is wonderful, unfortunately it’s not made anymore. I haven’t been able to find evidence of a direct replacement from another manufacturer, but there are similar products available. If you’re going to try one, find one that is non-abrasive. If I find more discolored glasses, I’ll try some more cleaning products to see if I can find something as good as the Wizard’s Crystal Clear.
Update
After contacting Wizard’s, their representative recommended Mystic Cut (affiliate link) as a replacement. If anyone gives this a try, remember to try it on a small area first and then let us know your results!
Further Research Needed
If you know what causes this discoloration or what it’s called, please reach out to Caren at info@collectpeanuts.com. With more information on the cause, we can find better solutions for cleaning it up and preventing this problem from happening again.
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