Cleaning gaiwan

[Zubo]

Hi.
I have a new celadon glazed gaiwan. I would like to clean it with dish soap, however the rim of the cup part and the rim of the lid are unglazed. Would the unglazed part absorb the smell? The unglazed part is not yixing clay.

[William]

Wash the gaiwan without worrying.
Porcelain (including celadon) wares are typically high fired, so the unglazed are is almost (if not totally) non-porous.

[theredbaron]

Not a good idea to use soap, unless you really have to, especially if it is crackle glaze.

[pedant]

i pour boiling water in it, let it sit a minute, and then dump it.
then i quickly scrub it with a kitchen towel (or paper towel) before it dries.
most of the tea gunk should rub off.
if it doesn't, you can wet the towel and scrub some more.

if that doesn't work, you can make a thick paste of baking soda and water and scrub away with that.
the baking soda paste should turn brown as the tea stain is scrubbed away.
(this baking soda method is what i do to 'reset' a teapot: put a good bit of paste in the teapot, stick a towel-covered finger in there, and scrub the paste around).

these cleaning methods are just to prevent scratching/scuffing the teaware too much with an abrasive scrubbing pad.

[miig]

Just like pedant, I get my teaware clean with hot water and a towel only. For guests however, I put it in a metal bowl, fill up with boiling water and add some dish-liquid. There are some brands without any perfumes, they're quite neutral.

[kuánglóng]

I never use any soap or detergents of any sort for any of my teaware but use baking powder for some stubborn stains here and there, like pedant. Works like a charm.

[Zubo]

Thanks for answers!

I never use any soap or detergents of any sort for any of my teaware but use baking powder for some stubborn stains here and there, like pedant. Works like a charm.

What about cups? I don't think I would like to drink from cups that haven't been washed with detergent.

[pedant]

it's fine to use soap on glazed cups, but i never do. i would never use soap on unglazed stuff.

nothing goes in the cups except tea, and i wash them out right away with hot water and rub them dry with a towel. for personal drinking (which is basically all i do), i'm comfortable with a quick rinse in the sink.

also, the other night, i removed some tea stains from a gaiwan and some bone china cups.
surprisingly, i didn't have to resort to the baking soda paste... just a wet towel-covered finger (so that good pressure can be applied.. maybe 2-3 layers of a relatively thin kitchen towel) and some elbow grease removed almost everything.


rub rub rub

fyi, if you ever use one of those green scouring pads (or similar) on porcelain, you will create micro scratches in the surface that make future tea stains significantly more stubborn.

[kuánglóng]

Thanks for answers!

I never use any soap or detergents of any sort for any of my teaware but use baking powder for some stubborn stains here and there, like pedant. Works like a charm.

What about cups? I don't think I would like to drink from cups that haven't been washed with detergent.

Hot water and some occasional baking powder is all I'm using for my teaware, including cups. As a matter of fact, that's what most oldtimers are doing over here and no other tea I know of stains your teaware as quickly and thoroughly as their beloved broken assams
BTW, on my tea trips to China and countless gong fu meetups I've never seen anyone using detergents for cups or any other teaware either, just bowls with hot water. In the tea shops I've sometimes seen them using microwave ovens but never any detergents. I've always been fine with that and my friends see and do it the same way.
YMMV.

[ethan]

Are stains & discoloration a problem?

I have a mostly white porcelain gaiwan that is chipped, cracked, & stained. I take this wear & tear as charm & have not noticed any harm to flavor of tea.

[Zubo]

Thanks for answers!

I never use any soap or detergents of any sort for any of my teaware but use baking powder for some stubborn stains here and there, like pedant. Works like a charm.

What about cups? I don't think I would like to drink from cups that haven't been washed with detergent.

...

BTW, on my tea trips to China and countless gong fu meetups I've never seen anyone using detergents for cups or any other teaware either, just bowls with hot water. In the tea shops I've sometimes seen them using microwave ovens but never any detergents. I've always been fine with that and my friends see and do it the same way.
YMMV.

Seems like hot water is the way to go. However, I am wondering, did anyone here ever actually "ruin" a piece of teaware with detergent, and by "ruin" I mean that you have started to taste the detergent flavor / aroma or smell while drinking the tea?

[thirst]

However, I am wondering, did anyone here ever actually "ruin" a piece of teaware with detergent, and by "ruin" I mean that you have started to taste the detergent flavor / aroma or smell while drinking the tea?

This. I understand it with porous materials, but with something like porcelain? Has anyone who advises against it done double blind tests?

[William]

However, I am wondering, did anyone here ever actually "ruin" a piece of teaware with detergent, and by "ruin" I mean that you have started to taste the detergent flavor / aroma or smell while drinking the tea?

This. I understand it with porous materials, but with something like porcelain? Has anyone who advises against it done double blind tests?

I wash usually my porcelain tea wares, once a week or so, with baking soda. Those rare times that I washed with soap, I honestly haven't found any difference.

[jayinhk]

However, I am wondering, did anyone here ever actually "ruin" a piece of teaware with detergent, and by "ruin" I mean that you have started to taste the detergent flavor / aroma or smell while drinking the tea?

This. I understand it with porous materials, but with something like porcelain? Has anyone who advises against it done double blind tests?

I wash usually my porcelain tea wares, once a week or so, with baking soda. Those rare times that I washed with soap, I honestly haven't found any difference.

Glazed porcelain cleans up fine with soap or bleach.

[jayinhk]

Not a good idea to use soap, unless you really have to, especially if it is crackle glaze.

Agreed. I'd never use soap on celadon!