Breaking News: Your Plates Aren’t Actually Scratched

It’s a bit of a cliché, but I had one of those “I was today years old” moments when I discovered yet another life-changing hack on TikTok. From learning how to properly load (and use) my dishwasher, to picking up clever cleaning tricks, my kitchen is cleaner and my life easier, all thanks to this video-sharing app. Now, I've got another game-changing tip for you.

If you’ve got older dishes covered in grey or black marks, you probably thought they were permanently scratched and destined for the trash or donation pile. But guess what? They’re not scratches at all, according to the latest viral #CleanTok video. Here’s what you need to know about so-called “scratched” dishes and how to make them look brand new.

How to Remove Scratch Marks on Dishes

It’s key to understand that the marks on your ceramic dishes aren’t real scratches—they’re scuffs. These are just surface marks, not deep gouges or indentations, and that means they’re super easy to remove. But before you get started, let’s first talk about where these marks come from.

Ceramic materials, like those your dishes are made from, are incredibly durable—much harder than the metals in your silverware. So when you use forks and knives on ceramic, they leave behind metal deposits on the surface. These deposits create marks that look like scratches, but they’re actually not. With a little elbow grease and a mildly abrasive cleaner, you can easily remove them.

To remove these marks, simply wet the plate or bowl with a bit of water and add an abrasive. You can use baking soda, cream of tartar, or a cleaner like Bar Keeper's Friend or Bon Ami. When mixed with water, they form a paste that’s just abrasive enough to remove the marks, but gentle enough not to scratch the ceramic. I tested two methods: baking soda and Bar Keeper’s Friend powdered cleanser.

I was really impressed with this method. It worked in seconds, and the paste visibly changed color, from white to gray, as it removed the metallic marks. Both products did the job, but Bar Keeper’s Friend was easier to use, while the baking soda paste needed a little more effort and a second round. In the end, I used Bar Keeper’s Friend to clean the rest of my plates, and they look brand new!

Over the years, I’ve given away and discarded a few (admittedly cheap) dish sets because I thought they were beyond repair due to scratches and damage. Now, I know better. If you come across any beautiful ceramics at thrift or antique stores, don’t let a few scratches or marks scare you off. Try this game-changing method, and you’ll thank me later!