Need help on cleaning some China.
 

I bought 4 china bowls at our local Habitat for Humanity store the other day.
It looks as though it has either smoke damage from a fire or cigarette smoke.

It is "Hallcraft china Eva Zeisel" they are suppose to be solid white bowls except for a yellowish ring around the top and underneath the yellowing is more prominent on some of the bowls. I soaked them in hot water with dish soap for a few hours and scrubbed them with a non abrasive scrubby pad. Then I ran them through the dishwasher on the top rack that seemed to clean them up a bit more.

Do any of you Ladies have any other helpful hints or suggestions? On how to get the rest of the yellowing off.

Thanks,
Chase

get a bottle of westleys bleach white from the car care at wherever [walmart .auto parts ] spray it on your china WHEN IT IS DRY very important ....dry ....then rub a bit and wash with soap and water ......works good on smoke damage from fire ...not sure if it a cigarette burned

Thanks for the tip. It isn't a cigarette burn. It's like going into a smoker's house and washing down a wall and seeing brown gross stuff on the cleaning rag.

I get some of my best cleaning products for the house from the auto sections. I use engine degreaser to get grease stains out of clothes before washing them, few times I had to repeat the process, even old stains will be diminished.

Will this china ever be used for food? I guess I would hesitate to use car care type products on dishes that might be used for food some day.

Yes it will be. I read somewhere that 40% peroxide and soaking it for a few days works....

It might be worth trying denture cleaning tablets - I know they work on various stains in china and not so harsh as bleach etc.

Anything gentle will do...the peroxide should work or the denture cleaning tablets. Sometimes the glaze gets a little crazed or worn and that's when stains can seep in a bit deeper. Usually cigarette smoke residue is quite oily, even after washing....if that's the case and there is no danger of a design being damaged some smoker's toothpaste should do the trick.

If anyone is a collector of anything....and I mean anything. Do not allow smoking in your home, it's not just bad for you, but for china, fabric, paper, artwork.....most things in fact. I'm not a rampant anti-smoker, in fact I shamefully admit it's the one vice I can't seem to lose.....just do it outside. Saves a lot of damage and cleaning.

Thanks Janedee and Ms. Earthwalker

I think we will try the denture tablets. My ex Mom in law cleaned her Stanley thermos with denture tablets.

p.s.
Earthy :)

We don't smoke, in fact we quit 9 yrs ago. We don't allow it in the house or our trucks.
We spent days picking up butts off the ground at our new house after we moved in. It is so gross...lol seeing those nasty little butts on the ground......LOL

Thanks for the tip Tammy. If the denture tablets don't work I will try that.