Ok, does anyone know how to clean a chawan?
Step by step instructions as well as tips are very welcome.
I am having one of those "what the **** do I do with this thing?" Moments
Jan 5th, '13, 01:40
Posts: 117
Joined: Jan 28th, '11, 15:25
Scrolling: fixed
Location: Waterloo, ON Canada
Jan 5th, '13, 01:43
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Re: How to clean chawan?
Very hot water rinses ... then dry with soft cloth. Leave out to fully dry as some are made with porous glazes and clays. Also do not place it directly on any surface that could be damaged by moisture during this time.
Hagi should remain out of the box for up to a week in order to fully dry.
And welcome to TeaChat!
Hagi should remain out of the box for up to a week in order to fully dry.
And welcome to TeaChat!
Re: How to clean chawan?
Thank you Bob and Chip. I figured soap would ruin the glaze so I have been rinsing with hot water and wiping dry with a paper towel (i would you soft dish cloths but my family likes to wash things with strong smelling detergents and fabric softener 
and i find it gets stuck on the chawan and the smell is difficult to remove. 
)
Even if I have a smooth glazed chawan, hot water rinse, and wipe + air dry is there a possibility of bacterial growth or mold? or will very hot water rinses basically sanitize the chawan?
How would you clean a chawan if you shared it with someone? to ensure there are not germs? or would you just not share the chawan
?
I feel so new to the world of chawan and ceramics.
and i find it gets stuck on the chawan and the smell is difficult to remove. )Even if I have a smooth glazed chawan, hot water rinse, and wipe + air dry is there a possibility of bacterial growth or mold? or will very hot water rinses basically sanitize the chawan?
How would you clean a chawan if you shared it with someone? to ensure there are not germs? or would you just not share the chawan
?I feel so new to the world of chawan and ceramics.
Re: How to clean chawan?
At a formal tea ceremony, there isn't all that much fuss made about cooties on the chawan. It has been cleaned with boiling water and cloth by the host before entering the tea room, and symbolically cleaned again in front of the guests. However, Koicha is passed from guest to guest and they drink from the same bowl. After drinking the guest wipes the spot they drank from with a warm, wet cloth (its actually made of a very high quality paper.) It certainly doesn't pass as sanitizing.