Now that we are all a full month out of “holiday mode,” we bet you think that you are done with your cleaning. Sure, you may have unpacked that suitcase and put those Christmas tree ornaments into storage, but, have you taken a look at your dishes recently? If it was your turn to host the family get-together this year, then your dishes probably aren’t looking too shiny and new!

Wear and tear from cutlery contact and aggressive scouring can really do a number on even on the finest of plates. So, if your prized heirloom china is looking a bit scratched-up and dull, don’t relegate it to a sad, dark corner of your pantry—rehab it instead!

This video tutorial from the crafty cleaners over at Simplemost shows you just how quick and fun it can be to remove these unpleasant blemishes from your dishes. Believe it or not, once you get this method down, it should only take you about 30 seconds to scrub out those scratches!

So, now that we’ve surely piqued your interest, let’s gather together our necessary materials. You will need:

• Your scratched-up cups, plates, or bowls
• Bar Keeper’s Friend Cleaning Powder (or your favorite oxalic acid-based cleanser)
• A sponge
• Rubber cleaning gloves
• Several sheets of paper towel

Before you watch the video and dive right into polishing away those scratched-up messes, let’s take a closer look at your dishware in order to see if it’s a good candidate for this method!

It’s important to note that this technique is only suitable for items that are covered in SURFACE SCRATCHES, i.e. those unsightly, dark lines on your plates and cups. Now, this doesn’t mean deep cracks, chips, or breaks—that’s a whole other ballgame!

In addition to this, it’s best to take into consideration the color of your dishes before beginning. The powder cleanser used in this tutorial, Bar Keeper’s Friend, is a GREAT, versatile cleaning tool. Though its bleach-free formula is gentler than most other kitchen products, there is still one step that you should take before applying this to your dishware to prevent discoloration.

The company does not recommend leaving this on surfaces for more than a minute at a time because it could lead to staining, which means that, unless you are using this product on only white pieces, you should test a patch first. We recommend turning over your scratched plate and adding a bit of the solution on the bottom before removing.

So, now that you completed the judicious assessment of your dishes, let’s get to polishing those suckers up! As we said earlier, all you’ll need is less than ONE MINUTE to get that china looking new again.

To learn how to complete this super easy (and affordable!) 2-step cleaning hack on your own, go ahead and click on Simplemost’s video below. It’s time to give your dishes the makeover that they deserve!

What do you think of this dishware polishing hack? Do you have an alternative way of taking the scratches out of your plates? What are your favorite types of household cleansers? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!