Another method to clean and disinfect the dishes is to soak for 10 minutes in a mixture of 3/4 cup of bleach to a gallon of water. Make sure you stir the water a few times before putting in dishes, so the bleach is dispersed evenly. Do not mix bleach with dish soap, as dish soap contains ammonia, and mixing the two can create some potentially dangerous gases.

There are other precautions to be aware of when using bleach; i.e., use gloves if you have sensitive skin, remove jewelry to avoid oxidation, and wear old clothes for splashing accidents. (Call the Clorox Company at 1-800-227-1860 and they will explain the use of bleach for cleaning dishes and will also send you a brochure detailing these uses.) Be sure to rinse the dishes well after either of these treatments.

Another safe and effective method for cleaning Melmac is a mixture of Ivory liquid dish soap and warm water with a soft cloth. For removing grime in the "corners", use a soft toothbrush. (also see notes on Gels below) Pour on the Ivory, (sometimes it may need to set for an hour or so), then start brushing away the dirt. The stuff in the raised lettering on the bottom is tough to get out, and requires some patience and maybe a stiffer toothbrush. Never wipe off excessive dirt or dust with a dry rag. This will scratch the dishes. Rinse with warm water and use the Ivory soap, then wipe lightly. Dishes that were in a barn for 40 years, coated with caked-on dust, have been successfully cleaned with just a warm water rinse and then Ivory soap. They looked like they came off the showroom floor!

Again, never use abrasives such as Ajax, Softscrub, steel wool, etc. Even the mildest of scouring pads is too abrasive. Try using children's toothpaste (Gleem works great). Toothpaste is an abrasive as well, but Gleem is at the lower end of the abrasiveness scale. Information from original company brochures suggests not using abrasives at all. This will result in the destruction of the original sheen and cause irreparable surface scratching.

As always, exercise caution.

Be careful when using a dishwasher. But if you must, remember that dishwasher soap is fairly abrasive, and will eventually dull the dishes. This, plus the extremely hot water and the heat from a drying cycle, will ruin your dishes quickly.

The residue from price stickers, scotch tape, masking tape, etc., is best removed from melamine with mineral spirits, paint thinner, or GOO GONE. GOO GONE is citrus based, and supposedly won't hurt anything. Reportedly, Avon Skin-So-Soft works as well. Thinners and mineral spirits aren't great, but work well if that's all you've got. Just don't get sloppy; put some on a paper towel or a soft cloth and rub lightly. Soap and rinse immediately afterwards. Note - never use thinners or Goof Off on polystyrene or polyethylene dishes! Use GOO GONE.

Grease pencil and magic markers are a huge problem, especially if they've been on the dishes for a long time. Thinners, Comet Gel, Soft Scrub Gel, and Soft Scrub with Bleach will remove these in 90% of the cases. Clean as soon as possible, as it appears the longer it's been on the dishes, the more of a chance the grease and marker will permeate the finish, leaving a "ghost". It's more of a problem on the whites, yellows, pastels, etc. than on dark colors. The Gels are great for removing markers and grime, but don't leave them on too long. They do contain bleach, and will discolor dishes quickly if left on too long. Anything that'll eat the label off it's own container (bleach) is something to watch closely, and all of these contain bleach. Try putting it on the dishes, let it set for just a minute or so, then start brushing lightly with a soft toothbrush. Usually this is enough to loosen any dirt or grime and dissolve any markers.

Scratches cannot be removed. There are three products that I know of that will fill the scratches and "restore" the dishes, and these are all water soluble and can be washed off. Kleenmaster Brillianize, Meguiar's Mirror Glaze, and Novus (#2 Fine Scratch Remover) are available at plastics and glass/mirror shops.

The Novus products work great. Clean the dishes well and dry them, then put some Novus on a damp, soft cloth and swirl it around on the dish. Let it dry, then wipe it off with a clean, dry, soft cloth. It puts a clear finish coat on the dishes, actually filling in the scratches. I called Novus, and was told that this is safe for ingesting (eating from these plates), but the engineer told me it might not be a good idea to make a habit of it. For display purposes, it's a great product, "restoring" the sheen on any moderately scratched Melmac.

Burn marks cannot be removed. Perhaps the best solution to this problem is to not buy them at all, or throw them out. Good luck!