You must have come across finely patterned, ancient designs on some dishes. They may appear fragile but they are strong and have been designed to withstand washing for a long time.
So you might not see it breaking anytime soon except if you decide to. These dishes are referred to as; fine china.
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Handwashing your fine china
Is this the best way? No, but when your fine china dishes have stayed and lasted for more than twenty years, then you may have to use the handwashing method.
It is usually the safest method to wash your fine china, especially if you are scared of letting them enter into the dishwasher.
So you can hand wash with mild dish soap. You can do this by placing them into a sink full of warm soapy water. After washing, you can use a wet kitchen towel to wipe it clean.
Then leave to dry. Meanwhile, to scrub the fine china dishes, you should use a soft cleaning cloth or kitchen towel to wash them. This is because fine china is sensitive to abrasives.
Handwashing also helps to prevent any kind of scratches on your fine dish.
Is it dishwasher-safe?
They are also dishwasher safe. As long as the fine dishes are not more than 20 years, then you can always toss them into the dishwasher.
However, they are only dishwasher safe if you can use the gentle option on the dishwasher so that while the washing is going on, the dishwasher doesn’t remove the pattern details.
What if your fine china has a metal trim?
If your fine china has a metal trim, then don’t put it into the dishwasher. Simply skip the dishwasher part and use the handwashing method instead.
This is because the heat from the dishwasher may remove the metal trim or designs. So the best thing for this is to wash in warm soapy water instead.
Does the water in the dishwasher affect the fine china?
In case you are using the dishwasher, you may have to pay close attention to the water you are using because, if you use hard water on some of your kitchen appliances, the effect may be bad.
So consider using the soft water you can. But the hard water doesn’t affect the fine china.
However, as soon as you are done with your fine china dishes, always endeavor to wipe them clean using a dry kitchen towel or soft dry cloth.
Can you use dishwashing detergent?
As long as you are trying to wash your fine china, it is best you keep off from abrasives or any harsh cleaning chemicals.
This is because these harsh cleaning agents can hinder the colorful pattern of your fine china. Or worse still, it might begin to weaken the china as you continue to use it until it breaks!
So instead of using dishwashing detergent, you can purchase a mild handwashing soap. Preferably you can get the Dawn mild dishwashing soap.
This will have a softer feel on your fine china.
So even if you want to use your dishwasher to clean the fine china, you can put the mild dish soap into the soap compartment and get your fine china all cleaned out.
How often should the fine china be cleaned?
The fine china should be cleaned as often as you use it. Do not wash or throw it into the dishwasher when you did not use it.
Sometimes, constant washing wears off a dish or appliance. For your teacups china, you can easily rinse them out using clean soapy water after use.
However, if it has a lot of stains, then you may have to consider using baking soda, white vinegar, lemon, and mild dish soap to ensure that the stain comes out completely.
If you have caked food particles stuck on your fine china, simply soak them inside a warm soapy mixture until the food particles soften. You can clean the fine china once every week if you don’t use it consistently.
Can you wash fine china with stainless steel or aluminum dishes?
No, you can’t. Your fine china dishes should be washed alone.
Even if you are using the handwashing method or the dishwashing method, wash your fine china plates and teacups alone without any interference from any dish type.
In conclusion, if you feel that your fine china dishes are strong enough to withstand the heat of the dishwasher, then you can go for it.
However, also check to see if your manufacturer indicated that the fine china is dishwasher safe.
And if you insist on using the dishwasher, you can put it in the dishwasher, using mild dish soap, and using the gentlest option of the dishwasher.
Meanwhile, always allow the fine china dishware to cool before handling it so that it doesn’t burn your hand or wear off the metal trim on the dish.
