Use This Basic Trick To Get Rid Of Knife Marks On Your Plates

Have you ever cut through a tough piece of meat, heard the knife screech across the ceramic plate, and cringed knowing you've just left another mark on your good dinnerware? It's a terrible feeling, one that gets cumulatively worse every time it inevitably happens and the plates become more besmirched with those unpleasant gray marks.

What if the damage wasn't permanent though? There is, in fact, a way to get rid of those unsightly, silverware scuff marks on your plates and bowls, and you probably already have one of the remedies in your house.

While no amount of conventional scrubbing or trips through the dishwasher can get rid of gray silverware marks, Hunker reports that some hand washing with the aid of a gentle abrasive powder is all it takes to get your dishes looking good as new. While the marks may look like scratches on the dishes, they are actually tiny layers of metal left behind from the silverware on the stone or glassware. Luckily, getting rid of it isn't as difficult as most people probably imagine.

Wonder How To suggests three possible magic ingredients to get rid of those pesky dish marks: baking soda, cream of tartar, or Bar Keeper's Friend. That's right: The baking soda you keep in your fridge to keep odors away can also remove the gray marks from your white plates!

Kitchn notes that cream of tartar and baking soda are a good place to start out, as both products are very gentle abrasives for both hands and plates. Simply sprinkle the powder liberally over the blemished dish, add a little bit of water to make it into a paste, and then scrub it with a dish towel or sponge to remove the dark marks. For marks that are more stubborn, a more abrasive product like Bar Keeper's Friend — which contains oxalic acid, a common ingredient in rust removing laundry soaps — or the similarly marketed Bon Ami may be necessary.

YMC also suggests adding a small amount of liquid dish soap to the rag or sponge for even better results, while Clean Mama advises running the plates through the dishwasher after scrubbing to get rid of any paste residue.

So next time you hear that ominous scraping and look down to see a new mark on your plate, don't despair — and don't run out to buy new dishes before your big holiday dinner party. Just break out the box of baking soda and spare rag and prepare to do some restorative scrubbing.