How To Repair Scratched Dinner Plates
Whether you splurged on (or registered for) fancy-pants dinnerware or you love your cheap-chic IKEA plates, scratches show up on the best (and the worst) of dishes. But don’t despair! It’s shockingly simple to buff your plates to look brand new again. The magical solution? Well, it’s a pantry ingredient you probably already have.
We’re talking about cream of tartar! You might know it as a stabilizing agent used when whipping egg whites. Cooks also use it when working with sugar; it prevents crystals from forming. And — fun fact! — when you add cream of tartar to baking soda it makes baking powder. Magic, right?
But what is cream of tartar, you ask? To get a bit food science-y, it’s an acidic byproduct that’s left behind in wine barrels after the wine has been fermented. It gets purified into the powdery white substance that you can find in the baking aisle at your grocery store.
And it’s the citric acid in cream of tartar that makes it a great cleaning agent — for scratched dishes — and more!
How To Repair Scratched Dishes
What You’ll Need
- Cream of tartar
- Water
- Sponge or rag (optional)
- Dish cloth
Instructions
- Sprinkle cream of tartar onto scuffed dishes: Sprinkle cream of tartar onto your scuffed plates. Make sure the plates are clean and dry to start and don’t overdo it with the cream of tartar — you can always add more!
- Add water to form a paste: Add a bit of water — again you don’t need much — and blend with your fingers to make a paste.
- Rub the scuff marks with the paste: Using circular motions with your fingers, a sponge, or a dish rag, gently rub the scuff marks with the paste until they’re gone.
- Rinse and dry your plates: When you’re plates look good, rinse them with water, wipe them dry with a dish cloth, and you’re good to go!
