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Other Customer Service Pages:
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This section advises you about using ceramics in your home, work place or
wherever. This page is just informative and gives GENERAL advice on
ceramic safety and care.
| A lot of our products are functional, however because we believe that all
handmade pottery is 'special', we do not recommend that our products are
used in a dishwasher or microwave. Being handmade, and each item individual,
we cannot guarantee dishwasher or microwave safety. Handmade pottery
should be used as normal, but treated with respect like it is your finest
china.
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Here are some general tips on ceramics for your information.
We have put in about Dishwashers, Microwaves and Food Safety. Lets get
some ceramic Jargon out of the way:
Ceramic Jargon:
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On-glazes: are decoration that are actually applied
on-top of the glaze. These are colours or metals such as gold, Bronze
or Silver, Often seen on dinner sets and mugs. |
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Crazing: Crazing is where the glaze looks like
'crazy paving' or a shattered window. It doesn't mean that the item is
defective; sometimes it is a much sought after effect... Crazed items,
should however not be used for food use, as the tiny cracks can harbour food
particles, which attract bacteria, and is not seen to be hygienic.
Crazed items may also be permeable to water. Crazed items are better
used as ornamental ware. |
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Stoneware: is Vitrified Ceramics; they are no longer permeable
to water, and they have been fired to around 1250°C
or greater. |
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Earthenware: is not Vitrified; it is fired lower than
Stoneware and can still be porous, which means that it could absorb water. |
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Cracks & Chips: This is where the actual clay is
broken and is weakened. A Crazed pot is NOT a cracked pot. |
Dishwashers:
| Dishwashers - Why its not recommended:
 | The reason being that Dishwashers are much harsher than hand washing,
as they use extremely hot water and very strong detergents.
Detergent manufacturers stick to their promise of a clean load when
opened even on plates that have food dried on them etc...
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| If you do decide to put our products in a dishwasher, (we do not recommend
or guarantee this), for your own safety, we have put the paragraphs below:
| Stoneware is generally safe for Dishwashers if:
 | The item doesn't contain any gold or silver surface decoration -
(on-glazes) |
| It isn't Cracked or Crazed |
| If you tap the vessel with a fingernail (carefully) and it has a
'high ring' - means that there is no water absorbed in the vessel
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| Stoneware is not safe for Dishwashers if:
| There are surface decorations such as transfers or gold, silver,
and bronze, for example. These will wear off over a period of
time in the dishwasher due to the abrasiveness of cleaning process. |
| Cracks in the ware, could lead to breakage in the dishwasher. |
| Crazed items may absorb water, and are no longer food safe.
Put the item into 'retirement'.
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| Earthenware and Dishwashers:
| We wouldn't recommend that Earthenware items are placed in the
dishwasher, as even if the items are completely glazed - hence
functional items - they still can be porous, and are more vulnerable
to running into problems in the dishwasher. |
| They could develop crazing which would mean that they are no
longer food-safe. This happens as earthenware items are not
completely impermeable to water.
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Microwaves:
| If you decide to put our products in Microwaves, (we do not recommend or guarantee
this), for your own safety, we have put the paragraphs below:
| Microwaves - Why its not recommended:
| As those of us who use microwaves know, it is not advisable to put
metallic items, such
as metal dishes or cutlery, in the microwave; so
neither should any ceramic ware that has gold, silver or bronze surface decoration or transfers, such as novelty mugs, as you will see
'arcing' - Flying Sparks in the microwave and zip and zap noises.
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| If you put damaged or porous ware (such as earthenware) in the
microwave, the following could happen: If there is water present in
the ceramic ware or it is porous, it could explode due how
microwaves work. They work by agitating water molecules, causing energy
to be passed from the microwave into water, making
the water hot. If there is water present, or the items are
potentially able to absorb water, it could explode; not only making
you lose your favorites item, but could cause damage to your
microwave.
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| Stoneware is generally safe if:
| There is no on-glaze surface decoration |
| No Cracks or Crazing |
| If there is a high ring when you tap the vessel with your nail
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| Stoneware is not safe if:
| There are surface decorations such as transfers or gold, silver,
and bronze, for example. These will wear off over a period of time in the
microwave, and also due to the bronze / silver / gold being metallic,
would have the same effect as putting cutlery in the
microwave: sparks will fly, called 'arcing'.
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| Cracks and Crazing in the ware could lead to breakage in the
microwave. Microwaves work by heating water molecules; if you have cracked or
crazed ware, then water may be present in the ware, and your cup for
example could get heated too, which could result in an explosion of your
cup and potential damage to the microwave.
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| Crazed items shouldn't be used as domestic ware anymore. Also it is
no longer food safe as food particles, hence bacteria, from old food can
sit in these minute cracks. Put the item into 'retirement'.
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| Earthenware:
| We wouldn't recommend that Earthenware items are placed in the
microwave, as even if the items are completely glazed - hence functional
items - they still can be porous (absorb water) and are more vulnerable
into running into problems in the microwave. |
| They could develop crazing which would mean that they are no longer
food-safe; this happens as earthenware items are not completely impermeable
to water. |
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