"Anyone that doesn't agree with leggings as pants can physically fight me.
And I'm going to win because I have a full range of motion due to the fact that I am wearing leggings as pants."

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

How to Clean Vintage Pyrex

So in addition to Mason jars, I also have a bit of a thing for older Pyrex.

If it's a reasonable price, I will buy it no matter how grotty it looks.

I know that there's a good chance I can clean it up with a cleanser called Bon Ami. I've seen this stuff for sale at the grocery store and the health food store and even the hardware store, so there's no need to buy it from Amazon. I just needed a link to show you what it looks like. It has a baby chicken on it. Who, apparently, is your good friend. And also French.

We've used this stuff for years (for the sink and the stove and pots and pans) and I thought I was so clever to have figured out how well it works on marked up Pyrex and other plates and dishes. I honestly didn't even notice the endorsement by the Pyrex people until I took this picture.

Because I am just that observant.

P9270024

This bowl was pretty bad and I wasn't actually one hundred percent sure I could save it. But you can see the part of the bowl that I did clean compared to the part I left alone.

P9270027
(And yes, after I took this picture, I actually went back and cleaned the whole thing. Why do you ask?)

What about all of these darker lines on my favoritest green bowl? They look like scratches, don't they? Oh, but they're not.

P9270028

P9270032

Like magic I tell ya.

One note- I would recommend that you rub very gently and not make a habit of this because even though I haven't noticed any problems while using it, I can't imagine that these glazes could stand up to maniacal scrubbing.

OK, one more picture (this time of a halfway cleaned bowl) because I'm diggin the infomercial-type vibe I've got going here.

P9270035

But not the kind of commercial where they cut to the black and white video of the totally inept cook who can't even manage to flip a pancake... oh, if only she had some kind of device that could hold the top of the pancake as she flipped it... that would make her life ever so much better... only 19.95 (plus shipping and handling).

I may be inept, but I can flip a pancake.

Wait, what are we talking about?

18 comments:

marcy said...

You absolutely crack me up! I've never had so much fun reading a blog. I'm hooked!

Wander to the Wayside said...

You lost me with the pancake flipper, but I was with you thru the pyrex cleaner! I love pyrex, and could kick my butt with heavy metal boots for getting rid of (at a yard sale)some casserole dishes many years ago, both clear and white with green flowers. WTF was I thinking? I even had a pyrex coffee pot, but traded it for a stainless steel pot. Again, WTF was I thinking? And bon ami is a must have, or Bar Keeper, which is basically the same thing.

LacyHolly said...

I LOVE that green bowl! I can totally see why its your favorite!!! :)

My mother used to have a ceramic coated sink and it used to get those lines that looked like scratches all the time...I wonder if she used something similar to fix them!

FinnyKnits said...

I want to buy some old crappy Pyrex now just so I can clean it with Bon Ami.

Awesome.

Renee Unplugged - said...

Hey Wendy!
I'm going to have to use this on some of my stuff!!!

By the way a friend of mine has a contest going on at her blog, thought I'd let you know. It's for a recipe book:

http://www.territoryearth.net/2009/09/heathy-snack-ideas.html

Nancy said...

I love old Pyrex bowls, and my favorite happens to be the very same green / flowered one that you have.

I'm so grateful to find out a good way to clean these. I have one that has a big old spot on the side--it's one of those little yellow / white striped ones--and it makes me so sad that no amount of usual elbow grease has fixed it (so far).

off to purchase Bon Ami, which I have seen many a time in grocery stores, but have never seen fit to put in my cart until now...

Visty said...

I clean my Le Creuset with Bon Ami. I don't think I'm supposed to, but it works and doesn't hurt it.

Emily said...

Thanks for the comment on my pine cone garland post. I am quite fond of old Pyrex and I had NO idea that those weren't scratches. I've never even tried to get them off for fear of doing further damage. Thank you so much for this dreamy tip!

Linda said...

Now I wish I bought the Pyrex at Goodwill that I thought to be scratched and unfixable. This is a great cleaning tip and non-infomercial!!

Linda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rmlrhonda said...

I think I have that same red/orange pyrex bowl that was handed down from my parents when they downsized to move down for FLA. (whew that was a long sentence.) I love how well pyrex holds up and now I know how to make it pretty again, too! Cool!

Layla said...

Interesting!! LOVE your blog!! :)

Would be interesting to know how eco Bon Ami is (any iffy ingredients or is it pure goodness?)
And how often is it okay/needed to use it, to keep the glass looking good and not destroy it too much?
eg every week, or 1x a month or 3x a year or so?

I wonder if we have something like this here in Slovenia too..

Anonymous said...

I have a small casserole dish in that same pattern. Good to know how to get it clean, thank you! Love your blog!

MJBlog said...

I realize that Pyrex with the whitish staining pattern from use in the dishwasher is usually a lost cause. We bought one such dish yesterday ($2) to be our guinea pig for cleaning (or attempts at cleaning). We are glad to experiment with gentle action on a small area and have available (or could get) almost any type of cleaning powder/solution (Bar Keepers Friend, Bon Ami, etc., etc.). Is there a list online of all the various attempts (vinegar, WD-40, acetone, etc., etc.) at cleaning off that white residue (maybe I'm hoping for too much) so we can avoid the obvious cleaning mistakes (not wanting to add a new mistake to a previous mistake).
Kind regards, Matt James

Anonymous said...

I recently got into vintage pyrex. I used some glass cook top cleaner I had on hand for my stovetop. Worked perfectly, even on some slightly faded pink ones. I think the Bon Ami is a powdered form of the stove top cleaner. Its all good.

Unknown said...

Glad to have found this post. My mother was given a set of Pyrex nesting bowls in the 60s for a wedding gift. The only one that survived 4 kids was a green one. I found the other 3 on Etsy today but they have the same black marks. I went ahead and purchased them to complete the set to put in my kitchen only after I searched and found your tip on how to clean the marks off. Thanks much! Too neat.

Anonymous said...

Awesome!!! :-) Thanks so much for the tip!!!

sandy petals said...

Awesome Blog! Love your sense of humor and the tip is wonderful! I can't wait to clean my old pyrex.