Are your ceramic plates and bowls looking old and worn? Here’s how to refresh your dishes and remove silverware marks!
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After our wedding, we used some of the funds we received from family and friends to buy some beautiful white ceramic dishes. I was so excited to have nice-looking dishes after living with plastic ones at college for so long, but now, after 5 years of marriage, they have gotten quite worn-looking. I was discouraged at all the gray scratch marks, but we didn’t have the money to go out and buy new plates just for looks. Once we discovered Bar Keepers Friend, that all changed!
Table of Contents
What Causes Marks On Ceramic Dishes?
Marks on ceramic dishes are usually caused by friction from silverware. Over time, plates, bowls, and cups can get dingy-looking from all the gray scratches. They show up worse on white or other light colored ceramic dishes. Thankfully, these silverware marks are not permanent! With a little elbow grease and some Bar Keepers Friend, you can get your dishes looking new again.
Why Bar Keepers Friend Is the Best Option
I tried scrubbing my dishes with dish soap, with bleach, and with the Scrub Daddy, but nothing seemed to remove all the silverware marks from my dishes. It wasn’t until I discovered Bar Keepers Friend that I was able to restore the old color and shine back to my dishes! Here are some reasons it works better than other cleaners.
- Mildly Abrasive: Bar Keepers Friend uses oxalic acid, which is not abrasive enough to etch into your ceramic dishes, but works gently to buff away surface scratches without harming the underlying material of your dishware.
- Stain Removal: Not only will this product remove silverware marks from your dishes, it will also remove stubborn stains!
- Versatile: Not only will Bar Keepers Friend refresh your ceramic dishes, but you can also use it to clean stainless steel, copper, and glass! That means you can safely clean pots, pans, your kitchen sink, and oven with the same product!
- Price: Despite it being a great product, it’s pretty cheap! Instead of buying new dishes, I just picked up a bottle of Bar Keepers Friend from Walmart for $2.72.
How To Use BKF To Remove Silverware Marks From Dishes
- Wash Your Dishes: Start by cleaning your dishes in the dishwasher or with dish soap so there are no food particles.
- Apply Bar Keepers Friend: How you apply will vary slightly depending on whether you use the powder or cleanser. Always read the directions of the product you have before using.
- Powder: Apply a light layer of powder to your wet dishes, and rub with a damp cloth or sponge. I like to use a sponge like this, which you can find on Amazon or at the Dollar Store.
- Cleanser: Shake well and apply a small amount to your wet dishes. Then, rub with a damp sponge. I like to use a sponge like this, which you can find on Amazon or at the Dollar Store.
- Scrub Dishes: scrub dishes to remove silverware marks, then rinse product off within one minute.
- Wash Dishes: Wash them with soap and water to ensure no residue remains on them before eating them.
Conclusion
Just because your dishes are old doesn’t mean they have to look like it! You can easily remove silverware marks and stuck-on stains from ceramic dishes with Bar Keepers Friend to restore your plates and bowls! It works because it’s non-abrasive, versatile, and safe. The best part is it’s low-cost and doesn’t take long! If you try it and like the results, these same products can be used to clean your oven, pots and pans, kitchen sink, bathtub, shower door, and toilets too!
Have you had success with any of the Bar Keepers Friend products? Let me know in the comments below!
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