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Mary asked: How do I clean antique china that has a crackled, brown appearance? I have some J&E Mayer, semi-vitrous china that I tried to sell at a yard sale, but had no luck. Someone expressed interest in it, but told us it ought to be cleaned. It has a brown, crackled appearance. What should I do?
The crackling itself, also known as crazing, isn’t something you can fix. When you run your hand over crazing, it should be relatively smooth. Any actual cracks or chips are considered damage and should be professionally repaired. To fade or remove brown stains within crazing, try this.
You Will Need:
- 3% hydrogen peroxide (several bottles)
- Clean plastic tub with a lid
- Clean water (for rinsing)
Steps to Remove the Stain:
- Fill the plastic tub with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the china.
- Add china pieces to the tub. Do not stack pieces. You want to make sure all surfaces have equal exposure to the peroxide.
- Cover with the lid and allow china to soak for approximately 48 hours.
- Remove china pieces from peroxide and rinse with clean water.
- Replace the peroxide before restarting the process with additional pieces.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Before you begin, ensure the china is in good repair. Use caution on broken or damaged pieces.
- Spot test or use caution on patterned or colored china. The hydrogen peroxide has a bleaching effect. While it removes the staining, it can also remove some dyes and coloring.
- If any spots remain, make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply the paste with an old, clean toothbrush and scrub gently. Rinse with clean water.
We have a large umbrella stand with dirty crazing. Is there some process that doesn’t involve soaking the whole thing in peroxide?
Our store was burned and the chinaware colors changed. How can I erase it all and make it white?
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