Can I use stainless steel scrub to clean regular dishes?
I know stainless steel scrubs are usually for cleaning tough spots out of stainless steel woks and pans. I use a regular kitchen sponge for my bowls and plates. However, sometimes the dishes get crusty, and a stainless steel scrub works best for getting those off.
My question: will this in any way damage the bowls and plates? These are regular, microwave-safe, dishwasher-safe porcelain dishes. Will the scrub scratch the surface, making it harmful to ingest from those dishes?
Best Answer
You can but you probably shouldn't. Stainless steel scrubs are quite coarse, rough and with sharp edges. They are particularly abrasive, suited for scrubbing the pan's metal surface and removing the outer oxidized or grimy layers and achieve a "shiny finish".
Used on ceramics I imagine they will scratch the glossy surface quite easily; with continued use it will eventually lead a faded finish and loss of gloss.
It will largely depend on the hardness of the specific ceramic type. I would assume average quality ceramic dishes, but even for a finer quality porcelain over a longer term it will probably eventually wear out the vitreous coating, and on extreme cases even reach the more crumbly inner substrate.
On a more expensive/high quality porcelain service I imagine you would want to use something softer anyway, to prevent premature wear, particularly if it is some sort of antique, heirloom, has any sentimental or monetary value.
Decorated items with paint or enamels will be particularly sensitive to abrasion, since even continued use in a dish washer will lead to faded colors over time, especially on over-glaze decorations.
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What can you use a stainless steel scrubber on?
They are also used in industries and constructions for removing the dirty and oily parts of metal, porcelain, marble and glass items. Stainless steel scrubbers can clean the pots and other kitchenware clearly without scratches. Stainless steel scrubbers can clean the dirty and oily surface of dishes without detergent.Can you use a metal scrubber on glass?
Do not use abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, steel wool, or a brush as they may scratch the surface of the glass or leave a residue.Can you use stainless steel scrubber cast iron?
Immediately scrub the pan with a stainless-steel scrubber or ordinary kitchen sponge. The salt will act as an abrasive to cut through food remnants. Rinse the pan clean with water, then\u2014to prevent rusting\u2014place the pan in 350\xba oven for 10 minutes until it's completely dry. (You can also dry it out on the cooktop.)Can you use metal scrubbers on stainless steel?
Don't Use Steel Wool or Steel Brushes Steel wool and brushes are also abrasive and can scratch the surface of your stainless steel. Instead, use plastic scouring pads, scrubbers, or brushes, or use a soft cloth for general washing.The Best Way to Remove Scratches from Stainless Steel
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Answer 2
Sure, knock yourself out. Should work fine.
Most household steel is between 5 and 6.5 on the MOHS scale of hardness. Ceramic glazes for high-fire ware are from 7 to 8, about the same hardness as glass. This means that the steel cannot scratch your plates.
This assumes that you are using plain high-fire (porcelain or hard stoneware) plates. If your plates have enamel designs, gold edging, or other decorations that aren't part of the ceramic, those could be softer than steel and thus likely to get scrubbed off. It's also possible that some of your dishes aren't high-fire ceramic, and thus could be scratchable. Test on the underside of anything you're not sure about.
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