Inside: Are your white plates and dishes covered in scratch marks? Get rid of the gray marks on dishes and have those dinner plates looking like new again! See how to remove scratches from your dishes like a pro.
Years ago when I was buying dishes for the first time I was worried about getting dishes that get scratch marks on them. I loved the idea of white dishes, but not the grey scratching that comes with it.
Since I was concerned, when I finally found some dishes that I liked I bought just one dish. I then proceeded to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner off of the same dish for two weeks.
At the end of two weeks, there wasn't even a hint of a scratch mark. So, I went and bought a whole set of them.
They have held up really well for the last 12 years, but in the last year, I have started to notice some marks on them.
When I looked on Pinterest for ideas I noticed everybody recommended Ajax or a bleach pin. I wasn't real crazy about using either on our plates.
Finally, a couple of weeks ago I read in an old church cookbook a recipe I felt comfortable trying. I was so excited when it worked!
If you are tired of gray marks on your dishes check out this simple tip on how to remove scratches from dishes.
How To Remove Scratch Marks From Dishes
To remove the scratch marks from your dishes you will need a few things.
- Cream of Tartar (I just used some cheap stuff from Aldi)
- Microfiber cloth (I love these from Amazon)
I love the fact that this recipe uses cream of tartar. Since cream of tartar is used in cooking I felt very comfortable using it on our plates. You may want to spot test in a small area first before you do all your dishes.
Getting Started
To get started you need your plates that are scratched up. I recommend doing them all at once and then you can send them through the dishwasher when you are done cleaning them.
I started with my plate that is the worst. As you can tell from the plate above the scratches are very noticeable.
Sprinkle a large amount of cream of tartar on the plate. I used around a tablespoon per plate.
Create A Paste To Remove Scratches From Your Dishes
Then use a damp microfiber towel to scrub at the plate. The water in the microfiber cloth will help create a paste with the cream of tartar.
Spend a few minutes scrubbing against the scratched areas in your dishes.
The paste from the water and cream of tartar act as an abrasive to remove the scratches from the plates.
The scratches will slowly disappear the longer that you scrub at them.
Rinse the Dishes
Once you are finished with removing all the scratches from the plate you can rinse it under water to remove the cream of tartar. Wash the plate off and run it through the dishwasher.
Repeat if Necessary
Sometimes if your plate is really scratched up you may need to repeat this process a few times. Just make a paste again using the cream of tartar and scrub to remove the scratches.
There is one small scratch that you can still see, but for the most part, it looks pretty good. I was able to take the scratches out of all of the dishes in about 30 minutes and with one container of cream of tartar.
I am happy that for around $.79 I could fix the scratches on my plates so they look like new again!
Want some other easy kitchen cleaning tips? Check out these easy tips on how to remove rust from pots and pans. It's easy and will help you save some money.
Char says
Baking soda works too and is even cheaper.
Julie says
I will have to try that next time. Thanks for the tip.
Julie @ Logger's Wife says
I love when a simple, already in the pantry tip actually works! Some of them really don't. We have Corelle plates which really don't scratch very much. However, one or two of the older than 10 years ones are just starting to have a couple of scratches. I'll have to try this. (visiting from Thrifty Thursday)
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
This is so awesome! I always though that they were basically stuck there forever. Glad to hear that there's an easy fix! Scheduling to pin and tumbling!
Janeen says
Wow, that's interesting. I have a couple of nice serving dishes from my wedding that have scratches. I'll have to test this out. My favorite part is that you got it out of an old church cookbook. Those are always the best 🙂 Not only are you cleaning up your dishes, you're reaching back to homemakers in history. I love it!