Porous Plate that Smells

kittycat204

I have a lovely set of plates which aren't glazed and therefore it seems slightly porous. At some point I must of put some fish on it and it now smells. I've soaked it twice in water I've put a disinfecting tablet in but it still has a wiff when I open the cupboard.

I obviously don't want to use bleach but I'm a bit stuck what to try next. Any help grateful received. Thanks.

warwicktiger

Sorry I cannot suggest anything other than bleach type products, but my first thought when I read your posts was that if the plates can hold an odour then what else can they hold? (I'm thinking nasty bacteria here from contact with food, left able to multiply between uses).

I would not use them for food at all!

Ilona

Agree with the above. Anything you put on them is going to seep into them. Maybe they are for decorative purposes only. I wouldn't use none glazed anything for food or drink. Give them to a charity shop.
Ilona

Butterfly_Brain

Try a paste of bicarbonate of soda or rinse in vinegar, that might help

Stompa

When I was a kid my mum taught me that plates used for fish should be washed in cold water to get rid of the smell. Mind you, whether there's any truth in it, and whether it works for porous plates is another matter!

babyshoes

I'd try a good hot soak with bicarb first. Use LOTS of bicarb, and leave it to soak for a good long time, at least overnight and possibly for a few days, but change the water after each day or so to stop it getting nasty.

Lemon juice / vinegar might also help if the bicarb doesn't work.

Seakay

lemon juice is good for getting rid of fishy smells, and hot water sets smells so I'd always rinse in cold water in the first instance.
Now I'd soak in some cold water with a heaped tablespoon of bicarb dissolved in it and a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice.
I assume that the plates are glazed with a sort of matt glaze rather like demby ware. If not then they shouldn't be used for eating off at all as everthing will soak in, and oils in particular could actually go rancid.