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How To Make Your Scratched Dishes Look Brand New

Jill Nystul  ·  March 19, 2023  ·  Updated: January 22, 2024
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Scratches, scuff marks, and scrapes on your dishes don't stand a chance against this easy cleaning hack.

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Remove scratches from dishes - collage: rubber-gloved hand using powder on a white plate; before shot of plate with scratches; after shot of white plate with no scratches

Get Scratches Out Of Your Dishes The Easy Way

I’ve always been partial to white dishes — there’s just something about how clean and classic they look! But if there’s one drawback to having white dishes (or dishes in any light color for that matter), it’s that they leave scratches with nowhere to hide!

Scratches and scuff marks from metal utensils show up on light-colored stoneware plates and ceramic plates as plain as day. I used to believe those marks were permanent, but that was before I discovered how to remove scratches from plates and dishes with Bar Keepers Friend!

Check out this amazing scratch-erasing hack in action in my video at the end of the post!

restoring scratched dishes restoring scratched dishes - canister of Bar Keepers Friend on a white plate

Why Bar Keepers Friend Is The Secret To Scratch-Free Dishes

This particular scouring powder has been on grocery store shelves since 1882! Over 130 years ago, a chemist in Indianapolis noticed that his kitchen tools were clean and shiny after cooking rhubarb, so he found a way to isolate the cleaning agent in rhubarb, and Bar Keepers Friend was born!

I am not exaggerating when I say nothing else I’ve tried to get scratches out of dishes has worked half as well as Bar Keepers Friend. Other cleaners can make them less obvious, but Bar Keepers Friend erases them entirely and leaves the dish looking shiny and new! (And that’s just the beginning — check out the link below for more uses for Bar Keepers friend, or my post about using it to clean pyrex dishes.)

Related: 14 Uses For Bar Keepers Friend That Will Astonish You

Below, I’ll show you a step-by-step breakdown of exactly how to remove metal marks from dishes and how to remove scratches from plates. You’ll have your stoneware or ceramic dishes ready for Easter dinner in no time!

restoring scratched dishes - white plate with scratches, scrubbing sponge, rubber gloves, Bar Keepers Friend

How To Remove Scratches From Dishes And Plates

Step 1 – Run Under Water

Start by getting the dish wet, so that the powder adheres to it instead of sliding off and making a mess. (You can skip this step if you’re using the Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser, which comes in a liquid form.)

Step 2 – Add Bar Keepers Friend

Sprinkle some of the powder onto the wet dish. You don’t need to use very much.

restoring scratched dishes - scrubbing a scratched plate with Bar Keepers Friend while wearing a rubber glove

Step 3 – Scrub

Dampen your scrubber of choice with a bit of water. Then use it to gently scrub powder over the surface of the dish. (“Gently” is the key word here, because you don’t want to accidentally take the finish off your dish!) As you scrub, you’ll be able to see the scuffs, scratches, and marks disappear.

Step 4 – Wash With Soap And Water

Once the scratches have disappeared, rinse the dish thoroughly. Give it a quick wash with warm, soapy water to get rid of any residue from the cleaner.

restoring scratched dishes - before photo of scratched white plate; after photo of white plate looking new

And voila, your dish will be sparkling clean and look good as new. It really is that quick and easy to get scratches out of dishes! :-) Give it a try, and I know you’ll be just as amazed as I was.

Related Posts:

Have you used Bar Keepers Friend to remove scratches from dishes?

YouTube video
Bar Keepers Friend is also a homemaker’s best friend!

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Jill Nystul (aka Jillee)

Jill Nystul is an accomplished writer and author who founded the blog One Good Thing by Jillee in 2011. With over 30 years of experience in homemaking, she has become a trusted resource for contemporary homemakers by offering practical solutions to everyday household challenges.I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

About Jillee

Jill Nystul

Jill’s 30 years of homemaking experience, make her the trusted source for practical household solutions.

About Jillee

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35 Comments

  1. Class stovetop cleaner with a soft cloth works great too…….

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  2. OMG, Thank you for posting this! I just finished using BFK on my white dishes. They look new again! I was so thrilled I sent photos to my husband and he was incredibly impressed. So thankfully to have found this. :) Can’t wait to tackle my fridge and oven now.

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  3. I will add one thing to this. If I left the Barkeeper’s Friend on the dish for about half an hour, the scuffs came off so much easier. Discovered by accident when I had to put it aside before I was finished. The first ones took so much longer. Much easier if you make a paste and put it on the plate for a little while.

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    • Great tip! I’ve also accidentally left Barkeeper’s Friend on for too long – with great results! :-)

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  4. What do I use as a scrubber? Can I just use a cloth?

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    • Sure! Any cloth or sponge will work wonderfully!

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  6. I have used Barkeeper’s Friend on the stainless steel liner of my Instant Pot. When I give Instant Pots as wedding gifts, I include a container of Barkeeper’s Friend as part of the gift.

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  7. Does it work on glass dishes? Such as fiesta ware?

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    • doesn’t seem to work on my fiesta ware.
      what am I doing wrong?

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      • Definitely doesn’t work on Fiesta Ware. A lot of these ‘tips’ do not work.

  8. I’ve also found that magic eraser sponges work well to remove stains off of my dishes.

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  9. I spent a year buying about 175 china dinner plates from thrift stores and flea markets for my daughter’s wedding. Also, friends gave me dishes from their parents’ collections. Almost all of them were from the grocery stores of the 60s and 70s (remember buy $25 worth of groceries and get a plate for 69 cents?) They had such romantic patterns back then which fit in with the antique/family heirloom theme we had going. Naturally, some were scratched up and required extra care. Bar Keepers Friend did the trick for us! Then I washed them with Dawn and Borax. They looked so pretty and shiny on the tables!

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    • Completely different. Comet is abrasive and will scratch even porcelain. Barkeepers friend is not abrasive at all.

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    • Comet and Ajax are quite a bit more abrasive. Barkeeper’s Friend is also made from more natural ingredients. They are quite different, and Barkeeper’s Friend has much more uses than Comet, because it’s much more gentle. :-)

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  11. BarKeepers Friend is the GREATEST cleanser EVER!
    If you boil water, and empty it into the hot water, mix to dissolve,
    add your STERLING (not plate) or Brass (door knocker) and no scrubbing required! Stunning results!

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  12. Barkeepers Friend is the best! I use it to renew my table flatware, on the marble surface of my end table, pots and pans — everything! And it’s super cheap.

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  13. I love this stuff! Use it on my stainless steel pots all the time.

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    • Thanks for your reply. Bought a can yesterday and will test it out asap!

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      • It really lightened up the scratches on my clear dishes after years and years of daily use and putting them in the dishwasher. I didn’t mention the set is 41 years old! It certainly makes them look cleaner! I’ve used it on other kitchen items, such as my Cuisinart metal coffee carafe, and some old Corningware pieces. It’s an amazing product as compared to Ajax or Comet. Bar Keepers Friend is now my ‘go to’ cleanser!

  15. Thanks for that! maybe you could share how to bring back the glossyness to our faded flasks?

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    • This method should work wonderfully on black dishes, too! However, I would suggest testing the Barkeeper’s Friend on the bottom of the plate first. :-)

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  17. Thank you for sharing about how wonderful Barkeepers Friend is to use. I love it.

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