China Care and Cleaning Tips

Cleaning your heirloom china can be a slow process as your take care not to chip, ding or otherwise damage delicate dishware. In many cases nowadays, modern china is dishwasher safe if you use a mild detergent. You want to avoid dishwashing soap that contains either lemon or bleach. If you are using a dishwasher, less is more when you are loading the fine china. Ensure that pieces do not touch each other in the dishwasher rack and that they won't rattle around too much and use a gentle cycle if that's possible. Some fine china can become more fragile when warm, so wait for the china to cool before stacking and storing.

Hand painted, metal trimmed, or antique china should always be hand washed. If you are cleaning your dishware by hand, only warm water and a gentle detergent should be used. To protect yoru fine china when you are washing them, place a dishtowel or rubber mat on the bottom of the sink before starting. If tea or coffee cups have stains, dip your sponge directly in some baking soda and rub the stain gently to remove.

When you are ready to store your clean dishware, put a coffee filter or a paper plate between each plate, bowl or dish while stacking them. Remember that your china should be stored indoors which will ensure temperature and relative humidity control. By storing them in the proper area and by washing the pieces at least once a year to keep impurities from impregnating the glaze and keep the glaze strong, your fine china will last a lifetime.

Enjoy this cleaning tip from Bio-Ox.com!