Melmac dishes were at their most popular 1940’s through the 1970’s. They consist of melamine, a commonly used material in dinnerware in the late 40’s. Melatline is an organic compound which gets mixed with formaldehyde under high heat and pressure to create melamine resin.
Melatline resin is what gets used in creating melatline dishes; it is easily moldable while warm, and then cools and hardened.
You may be wondering, “Okay, but what is Melmac dishes?” A company named American Cyanamid called their version of melamine powder used in the production of dinnerware “Melmac”. Melatline dishes that were manufactured using this brand of melamine powder are called Melmac dinnerware.
Is Melmac Dinnerware Safe?
Is Melmac dinnerware safe? The answer is Yes!
Like all melamine dinnerware, as Melmac is simply a brand of melamine dinnerware that is manufactured using of melamine powder is considered entirely safe to eat off of by the FDA. However, as prolonged exposure to extreme heat can cause the material to break down and leach some of its chemicals into food, it is recommended that melatline trituration used in the production of dishes is not to be used in microwave ovens or on stoves.
- Some sources even go as far as to state that extremely hot and acidic food should not be placed upon melatline powder used in the production of dinnerware, and that hot coffee should not be placed in mugs that is manufactured using of melamine trituration.
However, the amount of melatline exposure that one experiences while using the Melmac dinnerware as directed has not been proven enough to be cause for any significant health concerns.
How to Clean Melmac Dishes
It is recommended to how to clean the dinnerware that is manufactured using of melatline powder as washing them with warm soapy water, with a dish detergent that will cut through any grease present on the dinnerware.
- Melmac should not be put in the dishwasher, bleached, or cleaned with industrial chemicals.
- It should also not be cleaned with a metal scrubber, Brillo pad, or SOS because these items can leave unsightly scratch marks in the surface of the dinnerware.
One may wonder not only how to clean melatline powder used in the production of dishes, but how to remove stains as well. White stains in dishes that is manufactured using of melatline trituration are impossible to remove; they are signs of damage by previous owners of the Melmac trying to remove darker stains with bleach, and thus damaging the dishes.
With a lot of work, dark stains, such as coffee or tea stains, can be removed by filling/covering the Melmac dishes with hot water, dawn soap, and baking soda and using a toothbrush to scrub the stains away.
How Much Is Melmac Dishes Worth?
Prices for dishes that is manufactured using of melamine trituration and melamine dinnerware vary. Certain designers and lines are worth much more than others. However, anyone wishing to complete a set would be willing to pay top dollar for a special piece. Sites such as Ebay, Etsey, and The Find are all platforms to sell the melatline powder used in the production of dishes. Sometimes single plates go for as much as $12 a piece, and sometimes entire Melmac sets go for the same price.
The key to selling dinnerware that is manufactured using of melamine powder at top dollar is to find out how much is it worth that you own. The most important thing to making the most out of all melamine trituration used in the production of dishes is simply to take the time to do thorough research.
I have a set of pea green melmac I was interested in knowing what they are worth the set inclued dinner dishes sandwich plates tea cups 2 platters…cereal bowls…and the saucer’s for the tea cups a butter disn a milk server for tea or coffee..and a vegeatble bowl server…thank you ..Anne p.s on the bottom of the plates it says MELMAC THERE IS ALSO A NUMBER WHICH IS m-404 and the number 8 under that
“You may be wondering, ‘Okay, but what is Melmac dishes?'”
Not really. My wondering is grammatically correct.
There have been Psychological Studies Proving that Those who correct others Grammar & Nothing More are Typically Rabid Leftists. Which is why I overuse Capital Letters when discussing anything Political.It truly angers them when pointed out so,I do it often. So,did You cry on Elecion Eve?
+
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There are common anecdotal musings about people who read an article on a completely innocuous subject, for example, PLATES, and find some reason to connect it to politics. They will then go off on an unrelated, unhinged, fictitious and nonsensical political rant. They are usually victim to self-hatred and project their dissatisfaction with life onto strangers.
You Sir, are extremely hilarious! Our family calls it the grammar police. I however, am the queen of mondegreens. I just read a couple other comments. I guess melmac can lead to other more interesting topics. LMAO
“There have been Psychological Studies Proving that Those who correct others Grammar & Nothing More are Typically Rabid Leftists”
The destruction of the rules of grammar and spelling are part of the Marxist agenda. It’s known as, “deconstructionism”, and, like their efforts to destroy the teaching of history, is intended to produce an ill-educated, malleable populace who can be led around by the nose as the New Leaders wish.
YOU are helping the Marxists.
Can you vet your data for me? It sounds interesting?
He might’ve cried a little BACK THEN…..but I’ll bet you tied a whole lot more election Eve 2020!……trump is a LOOOSA!
He might’ve cried a little BACK THEN…..but I’ll bet you cried a whole lot more election Eve 2020!……
Who’s crying now.
This article has a lot of useful information, but extremely bad English makes some of the content unintelligible.
I taught high school English/language for about sixteen years. Rule of etiquette: One who corrects the grammar and usage of others, unless paid or asked to do it, is rude. Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Excellent response
I like to have my errors corrected so that I can become better.
Of course, I realize that many others, being spoiled children who are more concerned with feeling good than doing good, feel otherwise.
Why are these dished on the market if they are highly toxic!! You can’t microwave them when heating up food, nor is it recommended for hot beverage consumption. And on top of that you cannot put the in the dishwasher. Not worth a pot to piss in!
Most of this stuff is 1950s vintage.
So can I not drink coffee out of my cups?
When microwave of this material it tends to dry out and crack turn brown. When invented Mics were never heard of. And the research scientists never thought of exciting atoms to make heat. To busy with polymers and resins. Coffee is OK just dont re-heat in the mic. There was coffee in the 40-50’s, which may be the age of what you are using. The dishwasher has extreme heat that breaks down the resins in this material. Hand wash. With a little care you can have a nice service that will last for years at a reasonable price. It is out there check auctions, flea mkts. and estate sales for the best deals. Ebay is up and down. The good pcs will always command a better price. Common pcs. can be $1 + each.
Very popular as brightly colored, unbreakable dinnerware back in my 60s/70s childhood. Its disadvantage is that it scratched badly after a year or two of use, from knives being used on it and any kind of hard scrubbing, and became very unsightly. So you had to go out and buy more new shiny stuff, and it was not expensive, so I’m sure people did exactly that, over and over. However, people such as my mom got fed up with the scratching and premature wear on the dishes, and decided to go back to (breakable) ceramic after only one go-around with Melmac. Its charm really flagged on you. That’s why the only vintage stuff you find that is in good shape now probably was hardly used at all, or was a wedding gift and simply put away new (and not in a hot attic, where it would be damaged from heat). The glass stuff that is called Corelle is what replaced it, essentially. It is not 100% unbreakable, but it’s very close, and it keeps its looks.