# Best way to clean stained plates



## pmd18 (Mar 25, 2015)

What is the best way to clean dirty porcelain plates? I was able to score a few plates from the restaurant I work at for my catering business! Unfortunately, I was unable to get the dirt out using plain old dish soap and a sponge. I need to know your tricks

Thanks a bunch!


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

If you cannot get them clean with the usual methods they are most likely scratched (from knife and forks scraping across them for years).

Splurge and buy some bright and shiny new ones.

This is an area (along with dessert displays) where I tend to splurge.

First impressions are important and IMO the table should look as awesome as the food tastes!

mimi


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

What flip flop said....

Knives and forks (especially steak knives) will scratch the glaze on porcelain plates. Even though the plate may be scrupulously clean, the scratched glaze makes it look scummy and dirty.   Also if the "foot" of the plate is unglazed, it will also scratch the plate stacked underneath it.  (An old trick is to sharpen a knife on the foot of an unglazed plate--it works,  very well).

Good commercial quality 8" or 9" plates can set you back 12-18 bucks a pop.  These ones are usually "Vitrified" and have a very durable glaze, including the foot.  A good investment though, as you charge your client the same price or lower than what a rental company will charge.  Usually you can pay for the stuff after two or three events.

Best use for scratched plates is as under liners for potted plants.....


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

We used to bleach our coffee cups and plates seemed to work pretty well actually.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Bleaching coffee cups (and tea pots, coffee carafes and urns) was one of my first duties as a dishwasher.  And it works well--as does scrubbing out with baking soda 'Course, with bleach, you don't have to scrub, you just let them soak, then wash.  Coffee cups don't get scarred though.  An old waitresses trick to clean those old glass coffee pots was to throw a hand full of pennies, some water, and a couple of tablespoons of baking soda and swirl it around, cleaned like magic.  But even then, after 10 or twenty cycles of this, the pots would get scarred inside.

Problem with plates is the scarring.  Yes you can bleach them, but after  one serving of lasagna and a trip to the d/washer they look like crud again.  The scarring is a network of fine lines in the center of the plate  that don't reflect light back--looks like a hazy greasy mess regardless of how clean the plate is.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Here is an old but dangerous way. Fill a sink up with cold water add bleach and ammonia (wear a mask) let them soak about 1/2 hour  they will come out like brand new.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

We always used ice and salt to clean the glass coffee carafes



foodpump said:


> Bleaching coffee cups (and tea pots, coffee carafes and urns) was one of my first duties as a dishwasher. And it works well--as does scrubbing out with baking soda 'Course, with bleach, you don't have to scrub, you just let them soak, then wash. Coffee cups don't get scarred though. An old waitresses trick to clean those old glass coffee pots was to throw a hand full of pennies, some water, and a couple of tablespoons of baking soda and swirl it around, cleaned like magic. But even then, after 10 or twenty cycles of this, the pots would get scarred inside.
> 
> Problem with plates is the scarring. Yes you can bleach them, but after one serving of lasagna and a trip to the d/washer they look like crud again. The scarring is a network of fine lines in the center of the plate that don't reflect light back--looks like a hazy greasy mess regardless of how clean the plate is.


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