Plastic, ceramic, as well as ‘stainless’ steel and glass dishware, can be victims of visible, ugly stains that require special cleaning methods to get rid of them. The extra effort, however, is definitely worth your time and energy because the following tips are going make your favorite pieces of dishware stain-free again!

Coffee/Tea Stains

That hot cup of coffee you drink every morning is bound to leave brown stains on your favorite plastic or ceramic mug. The same goes for stainless steel utensils that you make tea or coffee in using ground tea leaves or coffee beans. The stains are rather difficult to remove with regular dish soap and a scrubber but the good news is that simple, natural cleaning solutions can effectively remove them. Here are two tried and true methods that can be used for ceramic, plastic and stainless steel:

1. Depending on the size of your stained piece of dishware, you will need to fill a basin or large utensil with equal parts of water and vinegar to submerge it in. Allow it to soak in this solution overnight. The next morning, use regular dish soap and warm water to wash the dishware and the stains will be gone!
2. For stubborn or old stains, mix a tablespoon of sugar and salt in the dish and use a damp cloth to scrub. These ingredients are abrasive enough to remove stains from plastic, ceramic and stainless steel without scratching the surface.
   

Vegetable/Curry Stains

Certain vegetables, as well as orangey/reddish curries, can leave colored stains on your dishware. Regular dish cleaning methods from www.housekeepup.com take a whole lot of scrubbing time and arm strength and the results are still less than desirable. Well, these natural cleaning solutions are just what you need to remove deep colored vegetable and curry stains:

1. Add baking soda to the dish and spread it out to make a thin layer of the powder. Pour a small amount of white vinegar over it to form a paste and allow it to bubble on its own. After 10-15 minutes, use a slightly abrasive scrubber to rub stains away with the paste. If the stains don’t come out in one go, repeat the process.
2. Soak the dish in equal parts of water and vinegar for 6-8 hours before rinsing it out. Next, soak a clean cloth in lemon juice; dip it into a bowl of salt and start scrubbing the stains away. Lemon is known to have bleaching properties while the abrasiveness of salt will aid in removing any leftover stains.

Hard Water Stains/Spots

Glass and stainless steel are prone to hard water stains. While adding vinegar to your dishwashing cycle can help avoid these spots. When you wash dishes by hand, you’re going to have to deal with the stains when they dry up. To do this, pour some lemon juice onto a sponge and wipe your glassware and stainless steel utensils. Do this until the stains vanish and your dishware is shining again!