Milk Plastic and Why You Shouldn't Smoke

A few weeks ago, I was reading this post from Jane's Apron about milk glass.
Now, I don't collect milk glass but I have to agree with Julie that just
about anything looks good in milk glass.

Like these vintage game pieces that I happened to have on hand about the same time that I found these two milk glass pedestal bowls.

However, not everything looks good on milk glass, which I will soon explain.

Our story begins with this pair of mirrored sconces, which I found at Thrift Store No. 1. Although they look like milk glass they're actually "milk plastic" and were made by Burwood Products circa 1986.

Milk plastic? Who knew? They really do look like glass.

In any event, they were cute enough, and I hope, resell-able enough, so they came home to receive a quick coat of fresh white paint on the candle holders.
BTW, I'm sure that any candles in these holders would be purely decorative as
plastic plus lighted candles equals impending disaster, and I speak from an experience that could have turned out very badly.

But back to our story.

A week or so later, at Thrift Shop No. 2, I found an oval milk plastic mirror
that was the perfect match to the sconces and was also made by Burwood. There was a problem, however. The mirror was covered in this brown stuff.

What the heck? A debate ensued of course. Should I or shouldn't I take a chance? Luckily, the store clerk, who didn't know what the brown stuff could be but happened to have a bottle of window cleaner on hand, offered to give it a wipe and see what happened.

And that was when I knew that cigarette smoke doesn't look good on milk plastic or probably milk glass and certainly not your lungs. But luckily, a good scrubbing of the frame (minus the mirror) left it all a lovely clinical white. Can't you see this in a bathroom above the perfect reproduction vintage sink? Or in a little girl's room?

The moral of the story? There are two.

First (and foremost), please don't smoke.

Secondly, try to always have a tissue or two on hand to be sure that those thrifty finds are worth taking a chance on. I think mine were.

Comments

[Betty]

I always carry hand santitizer in my purse. I bet a little of that on a tissue would let you know if something would come off. It's got alcohol in it. Of course, I wouldn't use it on everything. I had no idea that in the 1960's they made plastic milk glass.

[Sarah]

I have a pair of the bigger ones in my living room. You would never know they were plastic.

Someone on the blog was just asking about them. I need to remember to put a note up that you have one to sell and send them your way!

[Carol @ Old Glory Cottage]

Great advice about the tissues. So much better than licking the hem of your shirt and using it to see if something will come clean before you buy it! Not that I've ever done that....

[laurie magpie ethel]

Another new thing learned in blogland...milk plastic! Great finds and yet another reason not to light up!