used red clay infuser cup, how to clean it.

[BarbJ]

This cup I got second-hand looks to be quite well used. Don't think it's "aged" as it looks one color red on the outside and the lid and infuser look darker, I would imagine an artificially aged one would be even inside and out, but I could be wrong, certainly.

I'm pretty sure it's just a mass produced one, the characters are just painted on, the paint is even wearing off in places. It's white glazed on the inside of the cup.

Is it OK for me to use? I've heard that folks boil these in plain water to clean them, would that work for this? Or should I just use it as a decorative piece?

If I can clean it and use it, what kind of tea would this be used for?
Thanks for any info!

[iannon]

I think boiling it would be fine.. some will tell you to use bleach or other chemicals perhaps but I just use boiling water..if I need to scrub it perhaps some vinegar and baking soda. I actually have an electric rice cooker that has a red clay pot and thats what I use anyway
I would use it for any large leaf Oolongs

[tingjunkie]

What Ianon said. I have also had very good results scrubbing with a toothbrush and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Just avoid any soaps or detergents.

Should be fine for any kind of tea, except perhaps very small leafed Japanese greens. Hard to tell from the pics if it's authentic Yixing clay, but in general, it's best to dedicate clay vessels to only one type of tea.

[Victoria]

Yeah, I wouldn't use bleach on anything porous.
But if you're concerned, I've heard of people using denture tabs.

[BarbJ]

Thanks everyone! I'll give those suggestions a try.