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Make Your Dinnerware Last: Crazing, Chipping and Dishwasher Rules
Most plate damage happens in the machine, not on the floor.
By Naomi Park, Kitchen Editor · Published August 8, 2026 · 2 min read
Photograph: Catt Liu / StockSnap
Across our long-term panel, four out of five dinnerware failures happened inside a dishwasher: plates knocking rims during the spray cycle, over-strong detergent stripping decoration, or an intensive cycle thermally shocking a thin glaze.
Load with gaps, not density
Every plate should have air on both sides. Rims touching under 4 bar of spray pressure is exactly how chips start.
Turn the detergent down
Most machines are dosed for hard water and heavy soil. If glassware is going cloudy or decoration is fading, halve the dose and add a rinse aid before blaming the plates.
Choose the gentler cycle
Eco and 50 °C programmes cause less glaze stress than 70 °C intensive washes, and clean modern soils just as well given time.
Hand-wash this short list
Anything with over-glaze gold or platinum, hand-painted decoration, unglazed exteriors, and antique earthenware.
Store without stacking pressure
Felt or paper separators between stacked plates prevent metal marking and foot-ring scratches. Never stack more than eight deep.
Frequently asked
- Does eco mode damage plates?
- No — it is gentler. Lower temperature and longer duration means less thermal stress on glazes than an intensive cycle.
- Can crazing be repaired?
- No. Crazing is in the glaze itself. Retire crazed plates from food use, since the cracks harbour bacteria.
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