Cleaning Porcelain China

China adds a wonderful touch of elegance to any dinning environment. In small part due to the touch of elegance that these place settings can add, porcelain china is usually saved for only the most special of occasions. There is another reason though, and that is how scary it can be to try and clean these delicate kitchen items.

Cleaning porcelain china can be a daunting task for many reasons. First and foremost people are wary of cleaning because china is so fragile. The second reason is because if you are not careful, you might damage the finish, coloring or decorations that make the china so pretty. The final reason is simply that many people are fearful of trying to clean items that are frequently precious family heirlooms. Simply follow this simple method for basic cleaning and you are going to greatly extend the usefulness and beauty of these priceless family heirlooms.

Materials:

• Gentle or mild dish soap
• Sponge
• Soft bristled brush

Procedure:

1. Prepare. Prepare for your washing experience by putting all your dirty china in one place and getting the water ready. You are going to be washing these plates by hand, so don't even think of using a dishwasher. The vast majority of porcelain china is not dishwasher safe, and using the dishwasher to clean them is only going to end up damaging them. If you have a double sink, put clean hot water in one and soapy hot water in the other. Use a mild degreasing soap like Dawn or Palmolive for this task.
2. Wash. When you begin washing your china, do it the same way that you would wash anything else by hand with one minor difference. That difference is that you are being a lot gentler than you would normally. For the vast majority of your cleaning, you should simply be able to use a sponge and gentle pressure. However, there might be a few instances where something a little stronger might be called for. In those instances, use a soft bristled brush and gently scrub the food off. The key word for washing your china is "gentle."
3. Rinse. After you have washed your china, it is time to rinse it off. Use your other sink, the one that is filled with warm clean water to rinse off the china.
4. Dry. Finally it is time to dry your china. You could let everything air dry, but that does take time and increases the chances of water spots forming on your china. Simply use a soft towel and gently wipe the plates dry. As you are finished with the plates, go ahead and put them away so they don't get broken or damaged in any way.