# Aluminum marks on china dishes! ACK! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374 "2003-09-03T18:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/1 "2003-09-03T18:45:49Z")
“ACK!” is putting it mildly. One of my china plates had a close encounter with an aluminum coffee pot part in the dishwasher. The part apparently got dislodged by the spray and landed against the plate and stayed there for the rest of the wash. Unfortunately, it wasn’t content to just sit there quietly. Instead, the plate and part rubbed against each other, and now there’s a fingernail-sized gray blob on the plate. What can I use to remove the metal scuff from the plate? Scrubbing with “Comet” cleanser did nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/2 "2003-09-03T18:53:32Z")
Try soaking the spot in vinegar. That should dissove the aluminum. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/3 "2003-09-04T06:47:16Z")
Or try soaking in washing soda (sodium carbonate) in water. Or a little muriatic acid (HCl solution) if nothing else works. Corrosive!! - Read the label and MSDS. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/4 "2003-09-04T08:05:15Z")
You have some good advice - now here’s the nag: I hope you’ve learned not to put good china or crystal in the dishwasher! Those soaps are too abrasive. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/5 "2003-09-04T11:20:39Z")
House hold lye dissolves aluminum too. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/6 "2003-09-04T15:45:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j.c. \* > \*\*You have some good advice - now here’s the nag: I hope you’ve learned not to put good china or crystal in the dishwasher! > \*\* Actually, it’s not “good” bone china, but Fiestaware. The stuff is expensive enough to approach the realm of “good” though! Elsewhere, I also got the advice of rubbing the spot with a non-gel toothpaste. Perhaps a new ad jingle: “You’ll wonder where the smuges went when you scrub with Pepsodent.” ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/7 "2003-09-04T19:28:54Z")
Well, Aluminum has a melting point of 660.37 °C (933.52 °K, 1220.666 °F). So, just turn up the thermostat on your household water heater. That’ll do it. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aluminum-marks-on-china-dishes-ack/199374/8 "2003-09-05T00:11:44Z")
So what worked?