Things You'll Need
Mild dish detergent
Soft cloths
Warm water
China plates often come with a beautiful gold rim as an accent to the design. This gold rim may be gold plate or it may be gilded; either way, it is important to clean it properly. You don't want to accidentally cause the gold rim to flake off or become tarnished through improper cleaning. Timely cleaning after use and proper storage will insure that your gold-rimmed china plates remain bright and beautiful for years to come.
Step 1
Prepare your cleaning area. Run a sink full of warm water and place a towel in the bottom of the sink. This will protect the plates from chipping or breaking should they slip out of your hands. Add about six drops of mild detergent to the water.
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Step 2
Immerse one plate into the soapy water. You will be washing and drying the plates one at a time, so do not place all of the plates to be cleaned in the water all at once. Simply submerge one and hold it in your hand.
Step 3
Gently wipe down the plate with a cloth. Pay special attention to wiping the gold rim around the edge of the plate. If food is allowed to crust on the edge for an extended period of time, it will likely pull the gold rim off when it is removed. It is important to gently rub the gold rim, but allow food to soften if it has hardened on the gold rim before you wipe it off.
Step 4
Hold the plate under warm running water. You can hold the plate under your sink's faucet to rinse it. Use a second cloth to rub the gold rim lightly as the water rinses it off. This will remove any soap residue that might dull the sheen of the rim.
Step 5
Dry the plate thoroughly and immediately. This is very important. Allowing plates with gold rims to air dry leads to tarnishing on the gold rim. This can be difficult to impossible to remove, so it is vital to clean and then dry the gold rim immediately. You can repeat this process for each gold-rimmed plate you need to clean.
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