Chinaware Use and Cleaning Tips

Instead of saving china dinnerware for special occasions, use it often, every day if you like. It's strength makes frequent use practical. Like your good silver, it grows lovelier with use.

How to tell real china ware from earthenware, often described as "china." Hold it up to the light. Earthenware is generally quite thick and porous in texture. China is nonporous and translucent. Through it you can see the light diffused.

Care of china is simple. Because of its durability, it's quite simple to wash fine china. Use a mild dish-washing detergent, washing and rinsing with water as hot as your hands can stand. Avoid harsh detergents, gritty cleansers, and steel wool.

Most china can go in the dishwasher, except for china that is decorated with material that can't be subjected to water as hot as is delivered to a dishwasher.

Stains on china. Clean off the stains but don't take off the decoration with them. Instead of scouring powder, which is hard on decorations, use salt and soda to easily cleanse away spots.

Keep your china clean. Wrap your best china in cellophane or plastic bags before putting it away, to keep it dust-free for the next use.

Cracked dishes. If the cracks are not too deep, you can probably make them invisible by boiling the dish in sweet milk for about an hour, over low heat. This is often a wonderful way to keep intact pieces that are hard to replace.

After washing china, drain on a rubber mat or dish rack. Place the largest plates on the bottom when stacking them on the shelf. Store cups either on separate hooks or stacked by twos.