How To Clean China | Polishing and Coffee Stain Removal Tips

Return your beautiful antique china to its rightful place of honor with these polishing and coffee stain removal tips.

How to Clean China

How to Shine and Clean China

To clean china cups and plates, use a mixture of lemon juice and salt. Just rub it on with a damp cloth and rinse. Wash china in warm water, not hot. Water that is too hot can lead to crazing—small lines and cracks in the glaze.

If your china is already crazed, don’t use it to serve food. Butter, fruit, cheese, and cream can cause staining along the crack lines.

If you have dishwasher-safe china, stagger plates of different sizes when loading it into the dishwasher. That way, their edges won’t touch, and you’ll avoid chipping and scratches.

How to Clean China with Brown Stains

To remove stubborn brown stains on old china, rub on a solution of equal parts vinegar and salt, then rinse.

How to Clean China with Coffee and Tea Stains

Wash your china cups, saucers, and teapots as soon after using them as you can. If there is a tiny crack in the glaze, coffee, or tea left there will leave a stain on the china.

To remove coffee or tea stains from a cup, rinse it with vinegar. Then dampen a rag with water, dip it in baking soda or salt, and swab out the stain.

Another treatment for removing tea or coffee stains from china is to apply 20% hydrogen peroxide, then wash and rinse. (Regular household hydrogen peroxide is 3% strength. The 20% solution — available at janitorial suppliers — acts as a bleaching agent.)

How to Clean China with Gold-Rims

To clean gold-rimmed plates and cups, first scrape them with a rubber scraper, then wash them with mild dishwashing liquid. Never use an abrasive cleaner. If the mild dishwashing liquid isn’t enough to remove food from the gold rim, rub the rim with a paste of baking soda and water using a soft cloth.

How to Clean China with Metal Marks

Never wash china in an aluminum pan, and do not allow it to come into contact with aluminum in the dishwasher. Aluminum rubbing against china can create gray, pencil-thin lines that are often impossible to get out.

If a metal utensil leaves a mark on your china, gently rub the dish with a mild scouring powder or a plastic scouring pad. Be careful not to rub off any decorative trim.

Do you have any tips for polishing china, cleaning it, or removing coffee stains?

This post was first published in 2011 and has been updated.

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