We've had a love affair with plastic dinnerware since before Dustin Hoffman received the classic words of advise in "The Graduate"! And it doesn't appear to be waning.

There were several manufacturers and patterns of high-quality melmac (brand name of the American Cyanimid Corporation for its melamine plastic). Most companies produced lines for both home and restaurant/institutional use.

The Plastics Manufacturing Company of Dallas TX produced several classic lines: Texas-Ware (TexasWare), Dallas Ware, Oblique, SRO and Elan, as well as the very popular "end of the day" mottled/confetti mixing bowls made from a "stew" of the day's leftover color mixes!

The Boonton Molding Company of Boonton NJ offered Boonton Belle (also marked Boontonware), Patrician and Somerset, as well as the confetti mixing bowls.

International Molded Products in Cleveland OH offered the award-winning Brookpark/Arrowhead Modern Design and Desert Flower lines designed by Joan Luntz. We've also found a line of unmarked dinnerware--pastel with "speckles," that we believe was made by IMP because the salt and pepper shakers are identical to the Modern Design shakers.

Branchell of St. Louis MO made the terrific Color-Flyte and Royale lines as well as the brightly-colored Aztec line. Of special interest is their other Kaye LaMoyne design--an Asian design in black and cherry red with bamboo handles!

Prolon is only one of the many great lines produced by the Prophylactic Brush Company in Florence MA. The Florence and Beverly lines were perhaps the most popular for residential use, though today we seem to find more of the restaurant ware, both mottled and solid colors.

Other manufacturers/lines that are of equally high-quality but apparently weren't distributed as widely include Spaulding Ware, Holiday and Debonaire by Kenro, Imperial Ware, Mallo-Ware and Watertown.  There are also the terrific mid-century modern melmac lines designed by Russel Wright, Ben Seibel and Georges Briard.  And Royal China Company, Oneida and Stetson, major pottery companies, also had divisions producing melamine dinnerware. 

Later arrivals to the plastic dinnerware scene are the "space-age" Heller dinnerware designed by Massimo Vignelli and the stunning Ingrid (Chicago) dinnerware and drinkware.

This is by no means a complete list--and we haven't even included here the wonderful mid-century plastic thermal/therm-o-ware drinkware OR all the terrific plastic kitchen goodies!  There's definitely something for every taste and budget.

There are few reference books about this "modern" (and usable) collectible, but MELMAC DINNERWARE by Gregory R Zimmer and Alvin Daigle Jr., and COLLECTIBLE PLASTIC KITCHENWARE AND DINNERWARE 1935-1965 by Michael J Goldberg, both contain lots of great info.

Plastic dinnerware continues its popularity and is seen in sophisticated kitchens and dining rooms, picnic parks and patios, RV and campsites around the world.

But we've discovered some limitations AND some "cures" for your favorite melamine/plastic in our decade-plus of collecting/selling.

First, the "NO-NOs":

Your plastic dinerware is NOT impervious to damage, through use OR abuse! To keep it in its best condition:

DO NOT use in your microwave oven or oven.

DO NOT wash in your automatic dishwasher. It will not stay shiny and bright with the abrasive dishwasher detergent and the high heat of the drying cycle.

DO NOT use abrasives to clean your melamine. NO Comet-type cleansers, NO cooktop cleaners, NO metal scouring pads, NO "green" scour pads like Scotch-Brite.

DO NOT allow pieces to get near high heat like stove-top burners. It will scorch and/or burn, warp, crack or bubble.

With the downside out of the way, we get to the fun part!

ALL melmac and plastic dinnerware began its life with a shiny finish. Through years of use (and remember, almost ALL the melamine dinnerware you'll buy is 20-60 years old!), much of the dinnerware has lost its original luster. MOST of this can be remedied! We've found very few pieces that could not be "brought back to life"! Here are some of the ways for YOU to care for your beloved dinnerware.

DO wash thoroughly in warm soapy water, tops AND bottoms.

DO remove most staining with a quick bath of bleach water (half chlorine bleach, half water). Usually this takes only a few seconds, but stubborn stains may take a bit longer. (Straight bleach will also bleach out the color, so be sure to dilute it.) This works on colored melmac as well as white.

DO "scrub" ONLY with a toothbrush or Scotch-Brite NO SCRATCH scour pads (the blue ones).

DO remove any price tag glue with a solvent like Energine or Imperial cleaner, if a long soaking in hot sudsy water doesn't do the trick.

DO use a liquid rust remover like Whink to QUICKLY remove any rust stains. (Rinse or wash immediately!)

IF your melamine dinnerware is "faded," dull and/or scratched, there are plastic polishes available to restore the color and shine! We buy polish from companies that make plastic products like Plexiglas table tops. (They're listed in the Yellow Pages under Plastics--Fabricators.)

Retro usually uses Novus No. 2 and Novus No. 3. There's also a Novus No. 1 for thorough cleaning. Novus 2 "removes fine scratches, haziness and abrasions from most plastics. With repeated use, Novus No. 2 restores faded and discolored plastics." Novus No. 3 "removes heavy scratches and abrasions from most acrylic (read melamine!) surfaces. Use when damage is too severe to be restored with Novus No. 2 polish."

ALL of these polishes (any brand) require time and "elbow grease" to be effective. Figure at least 15-20 minutes PER PIECE! And not all scratches will be gone--you just won't notice them! For the Novus distributor nearest you, call toll free: 1-800-548-6872.

Before you ask: No, we do NOT polish other people's plastic. Only what we ourselves sell.

When buying plastic dinnerware online, DO NOT expect "new" product. Some pieces received little or no use so they LOOK new but most were used--some a lot! Condition questions to ask sellers (if they don't provide this info in their descriptions) include burn/scorch/melt spots, cracks, chips and/or deep cuts on the rims, shine or lack of shine, irregular fading. Except for the shine, we have found nothing to fix the other damage.

With very few exceptions, we collect/sell only the solid-color pieces. The patterned pieces tend to lose their color/pattern quicker.

FINALLY: DO enjoy your plastic dinnerware! It's a wonderful reminder of our happy past, and some of the designs, colors and shapes are simply spectacular. It's at home whether you're vintage, retro mod or contemporary in your tastes.

Check our Retro Jones & Wife eBay Store, (RetroJonesWife) for our current stock of melmac/melamine dinnerware as well as mid-century therm-o-ware. Build a set or add to your existing set with our "open stock" listings.