How to clean stained cups?

[RussianSoul]

I left a half finished cup with black tea on a table overnight ...

It is stained now, and washing it with dish soap and a soft scrubbie only helped marginally. How do you get rid of the stain? It is a glazed bone china cup.

[Chip]

As long as it is glazed, straight up vinegar works miracles!!! Let it soak a bit. You might need to add some elbow grease, but if you soak it long enough, it will usually just wipe away.

Vinegar is our friend.

[osadczuk]

Also baking soda and water.

Or just pour boiling water into the cup - wait a few minutes, then pour out and clean with soap and warm water.

All assume glazed cups.

[RussianSoul]

Yes, I forgot about baking soda! I use it on my porcelain cups, but hesitated to apply it to bone china. I am not sure why. Bone china is supposed to be harder than porcelain.

But I used white vinegar this time, as Chip suggested, and it worked beautifully.

Here, raising my (shiny) cup of Sencha to both of you!

[Mary R]

I'm a big proponent of baking soda and/or vinegar...but if your wares are really stained, Bar Keeper's Friend works miracles.

[evilive]

Everyone is right on the money here; white vinegar and bicarb soda are best friends when it comes to cleaning teawear. I use it for my glass pot aswell, makes it look new

[skywarrior]

If it's bad -- and I do mean BAD, sometimes using a cleanser will take it off. But be careful on fine china. It is rough on it.

[Wesli]

It is my belief that stains are natural, and that they add not only to the character of the teaware, but to the character of self as well.

[scruffmcgruff]

...but to the character of self as well.

I'm gonna have to call BS on this one.

[Salsero]

My Leaping Carp (very cheap china) gets horribly stained easily. I have not hesitated to put a little bleach in the cup and fill with hot water. Stain is gone rapidly. The only downside I know of is that it requires a lot rinsing to be sure the bleach is all gone. Is there another reason to avoid bleach?

Baking soda: when you guys all recommend it, do you mean just a soak or use the baking soda as a scouring agent? I worry that rubbing (even with baking soda) will remove the shine -- as does the dishwasher.

I'm trying vinegar as I write.

Thanks for the tips.

(Wesli is full of anti-knowledge.)

[Chip]

This is why Wesli has not bathed for years...

Sal, my everyday cups are cheap Japanese china basically. I have used them everyday for 8 years. A little scrub after soaking with vinegar has never scratched or dulled the shine.

Once a week or so, all my TeaGlassware, Electric Kettle and all glazed teawares get the vinegar treatment. Otherwise, it is basically just daily rinsing. I swear after doing this, tea tastes better.

[evilive]

My Leaping Carp (very cheap china) gets horribly stained easily. I have not hesitated to put a little bleach in the cup and fill with hot water. Stain is gone rapidly. The only downside I know of is that it requires a lot rinsing to be sure the bleach is all gone. Is there another reason to avoid bleach?

Baking soda: when you guys all recommend it, do you mean just a soak or use the baking soda as a scouring agent? I worry that rubbing (even with baking soda) will remove the shine -- as does the dishwasher.

What I do, at least with my cheaper china and glasswears, is put the baking soda in the pot/cup, then put some vinegar on that. It bubbles over (of course). More of each, then I'd fill up the basin/bowl the items were sitting in with hot water and make sure that the vinegar/baking soda isn't too thin (if you can see it, you're right on) and leave it to soak for x hours. I leave REALLY bad ones, just purchased from second hand stores over night and they look new in the morning