Give Your Scratched Kitchen Dishes A Makeover With This Pantry Staple Hack

Like white sheets and shower curtains, there's something timeless and hotel-fresh about white dishes. However, they also show scratches especially well. Before you replace those scratched dishes, save yourself some money and try this cleaning hack instead. 

You'll need two simple things you might already have: a microfiber cloth and some cream of tartar. Even if you have to buy them, the cost is likely less than getting new dishes. Plus, since you're using something edible as a cleaning ingredient, there's no need to worry about toxins getting on your dishes.

Begin by putting a heaping spoonful of cream of tartar on each scratched dish. Get your microfiber towel damp and apply it to the plate so the cream of tartar starts turning into a paste. Once pasty, give it a healthy scrub, focusing on the scratched places. The cream of tartar paste combined with the cloth is a gentle, natural abrasive, so you'll see the scratches start to go away. 

The simple trick works because most dishware "scratches" are actually just scuff marks that can be buffed away. Once you see results you like, wash the dishes off, and you're good to go. However, some scratches can be more stubborn than others.

If scratches still show after one treatment, repeat the process two or more times. For more heavy-duty scrubbing action, try a damp scouring pad instead of a microfiber cloth. Just be sure to keep the scrubbing gentle so you don't add new scratches in the process. A sponge is a gentle alternative that may be easier to work with than a cloth — or you can even try scrubbing with your fingers. 

Another option is to try an abrasive cleaning powder, like Bar Keepers Friend. That said, you'll need to wash your dishes more thoroughly afterward if you use a cleaning product that's not safe for ingestion, so cream of tartar is a safer place to start. 

While scratches may be most noticeable on white dishes, you can also try this hack on your favorite colored dishware. It'll help keep the dishes you love looking new for years to come.