Washing china dishes in the dishwasher?

berryblondeboys

berryblondeboys

Member
Sep 30, 2007
2,743
0
#1
Can you tell I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving?

OK, a few years ago I scored a set of Noritake china. I have used it exactly ONCE. So, I have to wash all the pieces again before serving dinner and then after dinner of course. But, can I use a dishwasher? If I do, do I need a special detergent or something?

These are plain white with a simply silver Greek key edging. They are from the 1950s and never used before I got them. I plan to use them 1-2 times a year.
 
#2
My mom taught me that good china NEVER goes in the dishwasher. It can destroy gold/silver leafing and etch the plates over time. As for detergent, I believe you can use just basic liquid dish soap.
 
#4
That's what I thought, but it was worth asking! Sigh.... I guess that's why no one ever uses their china! A meal for 11 people and all the plates and such to be done by hand! UGH!!! Oh well, it's good for me to be thankful for the dishwasher the other 363 days a year! LOL (excluding Christmas and Thanksgiving!)
 
#6
I deal in American Antiques and I say never put new or old china in the dishwasher. The gold or silver edging will come off because of the dishwasher soap and hot water. You wouldn't want to ruin this beautiful china!
 
#7
I have to say, I put my Haviland china in the dishwasher. They guarantee it to be dishwasher safe, and I assume that they will stick by this if the platinum edging ever does come off.
 
#8
Maybe yours was made with dishwashers in mind. Pretty sure mine wasn't. it was bought in Japan from a military man during a leave during the Korean war. She got two sets - her brother got one too, so the one I have never got used. If you can believe this, the ENTIRE 95 piece set (12 settings, 7 piece sets plus serving pieces) was only $60!!! I about died! I snatched that up so fast. I can't buy plastic plates for that price!!!!

So, in theory, I can say, "well this set only cost me $60 so whatever, but I could never REPLACE it for that price and I love the simplicity of it - unlike my MIL's modern (80s) pastel big flowery china (blah! - sorry no offense! LOL)

So, by hand it will be. I'll start washing them in sections - dinner plates this night, bowls this night, coffee cups and saucers this night, etc.
 
#9
WOW 60 bucks!!! what a steal, I got my first beautiful china set last christmas and even tho it says dishwasher safe I always hand wash it, it was only 6 settings and no serving pieces and I paid way more than that :crybaby: so I dont want anything to happen to it.
 
#11
You can get pretty good deals on china from Craigslist and ebay. I didn't want to buy NEW new because I couldn't justify the price for using it twice a year. I can barely justify STORING it for using it twice a year! But, other than that we have white corelle dishes - a gal who loves to cook HAS to have decent dishes to show off her food! Geez!

I got the set from a vintage shop. The two ladies were best friends and they converted an old house in the commercial zoned area into a vintage shop - So, vintage kitchen in the kitchen, vintage dining in the dining room, etc. So, I was driving by one day and decided to stop in about a month after they opened and it was SOOOOO cute! I could have moved in! In the dining room they had the set all out - all seven pieces (but not all twelve settings). It looked spectacular. On the head of the table was a folded card that said "$60 Noritake china set". I thought it was $60 per setting, but I looked closely and it said SET... I asked the lady and she said, "yep, it's for all of it, and then she started pulling open the china cabinet to show me rest of it. I didn't even stop to breathe. I probably whimpered, "I'll take it." I asked how it was so cheap and she said, "well, it's my partner's and she put a price on it just to get rid of it as it's her personal set." They had JUST put it out that morning... I guess it was an omen!

I came back in about a week later with my best friend and the "partner" was there and I thanked her for the BEAUTIFUL set and found out more about it (as mentioned above).

Now, this set doesn't go for TONS usually on ebay, but I LOVE it. It would be a style I would choose if I had an entire collection of styles to choose from, so that's all that matters. How can white with silver EVER go out of style? and Greek key motif???? NEVER... (or we'll see! LOL)
 
#12
OMG, do NOT put good china in the dishwasher. This deserves an old school, drawn out, romantic scrubbing 'o' the dishes with you and your SO....lotsa suds, baby!!

Seriously, don't do it. In my adult life I have actually lived a total of 8 years without a dishwasher over my 20s/early 30s (admittedly single, so not as many dishes as others) but I lived in older apartment buildings and gave that up for the character/view of the properties. I invested in fabulous rubber gloves, racks, towels, you name it. Isn't your fabulous china worth it too?? :biggrin:
 
#13
I sell appliances for a living, and even the most expensive, high-end dishwashers ($2000+) with the most specialized cycles made for people that wash expensive things do NOT recommend putting any sort of fine china, especially vintage china, in for ANY of their cycles. if it even might be safe, these companies would be the first to advertise it since it would be a big selling point for their target markets, but it's simply not safe. which sucks :sad:.
 
#15
I agree - no china in the dishwasher for washing...

Since we have a ton of plates / etc to wash, i put them in the racks of the dishwasher to sit and dry a bit before breaking out the towel and putting them away. Good space saver, since my normal dishrack can't hold that many items.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back