Wine glasses are more than functional items. They could be collectible display pieces that add elegance to one’s home, or carry personal sentimental value from significant events or memories. Premium wine glasses which are favoured by wine enthusiasts are made often of very thin and lightweight glass. As such, they are very fragile and most susceptible to damage at the rim, especially during washing and polishing when pressure is applied.

The cleaning of wine glasses is a tedious and cumbersome process that often results in damage and hard water stains. One of the key steps is polishing which requires the most time and effort as the wine glass must be thoroughly dried with a cloth and repeatedly polished to remove water marks lest they solidify into hard water stains. Additionally, the opening of a wine glass is normally too narrow for a hand to fit through, hence a microfiber cloth is typically stuffed into the wine glass and pressure is exerted to clean the water marks at the bottom of the glass. However, this may cause the glass to break.

To overcome these problems, we have designed a counter-top machine, Eclat, that can autonomously wash and then polish premium wine glasses without breaking them. Its key features include the ability to accommodate different glass shapes and sizes; cleaning two glasses simultaneously instead of one at a time; an all-round fixed spray mechanism to ensure thorough and gentle washing; and non-contact polishing through directed air blowing.