Guide · Kitchen and dishes ·
How to Clean Porcelain
Porcelain is a hard, low-porosity ceramic fired at high temperature; at home we mostly see it as plates, cups and teapots, and in recent years also as kitchen worktops, tiles and sinks. Its glazed surface does not hold water or stains, but gilded and hand-painted porcelain is delicate, and the wrong product can make porcelain worktops dull. This guide explains how to clean porcelain tableware, a porcelain teapot and porcelain worktops. For hand-painted ceramic plates, see the guide how to clean hand-painted tiles.
Know your porcelain
- Porcelain tableware: plates, cups, bowls and serving platters; its glazed surface is smooth.
- Gilded and hand-painted porcelain: porcelain with gold or silver gilding or hand-painted patterns is delicate and can lose colour in the dishwasher.
- Porcelain worktops and slabs: large porcelain slabs used as kitchen worktops, tables and wall cladding.
- Porcelain sinks and tiles: porcelain ceramics used as bathroom sinks and floor or wall tiles.
How to clean porcelain plates and cups: step by step
- Remove food residue before it dries; soak dried-on residue in lukewarm water for a while.
- Fill a basin with lukewarm water and add a little TETİK Dishwashing Liquid.
- Wash the porcelain with a soft sponge; pay attention to the rim of the plate and the inside of the cup.
- Rinse with plenty of clean water and dry with a clean cloth.
- Porcelain other than gilded and hand-painted pieces can be washed in the dishwasher if the manufacturer allows it.
Tea and coffee stains and cutlery marks
- Wipe tea and coffee marks inside cups and mugs promptly with lukewarm water, a little dishwashing liquid and a soft sponge; for details see how to remove tea stains.
- Grey cutlery marks on the plate surface come from metal abrasion and may not always come off completely; we make no product claim for these marks.
- On porcelain with cracked or chipped glaze, water seeps into the crack; do not leave these pieces wet for long.
- For crystal and glass tumblers: how to make glasses sparkle.
How to clean a porcelain teapot
Tea marks inside a porcelain teapot do not build up if you empty the teapot after each use and wash it with lukewarm water, a little dishwashing liquid and a soft sponge. Soften a built-up dark tea layer by soaking it in warm soapy water, then clean it with a soft brush that fits the teapot and rinse with plenty of water. Use a thin bottle brush for the inside of the spout. Do not use limescale remover in a porcelain teapot. For metal kettles and teapots, see the guide how to clean a teapot.
How to clean porcelain worktops
- For daily cleaning, wipe the worktop with a well-wrung microfibre cloth and lukewarm water with START All-Purpose Surface Cleaner added at the dose on the label. According to its safety data sheet, START Genel Yüzey Temizleyici has a pH of 7–8.
- Wipe grease stains with lukewarm water and a little TETİK dishwashing liquid, then rinse with a clean damp cloth.
- Dry a glossy porcelain worktop with a dry microfibre cloth; no water marks are left.
- Do not use steel wool or abrasive powder; the glossy surface may become dull.
- For other types of worktop: how to clean kitchen worktops, how to clean granite worktops.
Porcelain sinks and tiles
- For daily cleaning of a porcelain sink and limescale marks: how to clean a bathroom sink.
- For porcelain and ceramic floor tiles: how to clean ceramic floors.
- Marble-effect porcelain tile is not real marble; however, if there is real natural stone next to the tile, do not let acidic products touch the stone.
What not to do
- Washing gilded and hand-painted porcelain in the dishwasher.
- Using steel wool and abrasive powder on porcelain.
- Pouring cold water on hot porcelain; a sudden temperature change can crack it.
- Using limescale remover in a porcelain teapot.
- Using degreaser on a porcelain worktop without checking its label.
For hotels and restaurants
In hotels and restaurants, porcelain dinnerware is used hundreds of times a day; removing food residue without delay, setting aside gilded and hand-painted pieces for hand washing and cleaning tea cups before marks build up make for a consistent routine. For industrial dishwashers, see our industrial dishwasher detergent guide. TETİK Dishwashing Liquid is produced in 750 g, 5 kg, 20 kg and 30 kg packs and START All-Purpose Surface Cleaner in a 5 L pack; for bulk purchases you can request a quote.
