Say Goodbye To Ugly Silverware Scratches On Your Dishes With One Simple Trick

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You're so excited. You just bought a new set of gleaming white dinner plates. You eagerly use them at your next dinner party, happily showing them off. But wait. What's that? While you're properly hand washing the dishes, you notice unsightly marks on your precious plates. They won't come off with dish soap or your favorite household cleaner. Say hello to every white plate owner's never-ending battle: ugly silverware scratches. Luckily, these gray marks on your dishes aren't permanent. With a special powder and some elbow grease, you can have your white plates looking good as new in no time.

That's right, there is a miracle product that helps you do just that: Bar Keepers Friend Superior Cookware Cleanser and Polish. A 12-ounce can costs just $8.99. The powdered product isn't just chummy with bar keepers; it's a cleaning staple that helps homeowners, too. The core ingredient in Bar Keepers Friend is oxalic acid, a naturally occurring organic compound produced in varying amounts by humans, plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. Oxalic acid has long been used to remove iron stains from paper, wood, leather, and ceramics, like your white plates. When the Bar Keepers Friend comes into contact with the silverware marks, what's called a double displacement reaction occurs. This reaction changes the state of the metal residue left behind by the silverware into one that is water-soluble and easily scrubbed or rinsed away.

To use Bar Keepers Friend on your own scratched dishes, simply sprinkle the powder over a damp non-abrasive sponge and gently spread the paste over the surface of the plate. Wait 10 to 15 seconds, and then rinse the cleaner off with fresh water. You can leave it on for up to 60 seconds without damaging your dishware. Dry the plate gently with a soft cloth. If you don't like using the powder, Bar Keepers Friend comes in cream cleanser form, too. Have you invested in vintage dishware brands to bring your kitchen retro charm? This method might even work on those pre-loved and likely well-worn plates and bowls.

There are other things you wouldn't think to clean with Bar Keepers Friend, making it even more of a worthwhile purchase for your home cleaning kit. Use the oxalic acid-based product to remove stickers, banish hard water spots, clean carbon buildup from your car's exhaust pipe, and much more. But remember, personal safety always comes first. When using Bar Keepers Friend or any other oxalic acid cleaner, be sure to wear personal protective equipment, such as rubber gloves, goggles, and a mask if you're sensitive to fumes. Touching the powder can cause mild skin irritation; inhaling the powder is more dangerous.