caring for your ceramics

cleaning your ceramics

All my work is high fired stoneware or porcelain and dishwasher safe – and I do use the dishwasher for them myself from time to time. However, the risk of ceramics being chipped or cracked in dishwashers is greater owing to items clanking together during the cycle.

Hand washing is always kinder to hand made ceramics and glazes, so that is what I always recommend as a general rule. The chemicals in dishwashers can be very harsh and will dull some glazes over time which is why glasses often look fogged after many dishwashing cycles.

using the microwave

I also put my pottery in my microwave occasionally with no ill effects (we all know about heating up that cold cup of coffee). However, I can’t say that I would recommend regularly microwaving your hand made pottery - and I haven’t been able to test a range of microwave ovens so I am no expert.

thermal shock

You should avoid thermal shock for all ceramics. This means not exposing your pottery to rapid temperature changes, like putting a hot dish from the over into cold water in the sink. The risk of thermal shock is greater when pottery is large and/or thick and I will never forget cracking a precious stoneware coffee pot, given to me by a friend, by putting it on the gas ring!