Care & maintenance of irregularly glazed teawares

[debunix]

How do you all keep rankings from building up on irregularly glazed teawares? I'm thinking here of tea cups, pots and bowls where the surface irregularities make buffing with a cloth impractical--with rough bits that snag the cloth, or ridges that hide from a cloth--leaving a worse look than uniform tannin staining. I have not been happy with denture cleaner, just not effective enough. What do you use?

[debunix]

Tannins, not rankings! Stupid autocorrect!

[Chip]

Tannins, not rankings! Stupid autocorrect!

I thought I woke up and realized I knew nothing.

I have used bleach or vinegar or denture powder (like tablets but in posder form). This usually resets it for me. However if these have bare clay, then I would hesitate.

[Evan Draper]

Anybody ever tried a Water Pik? That would be cool if it worked. I can't imagine buying one though.

[Poohblah]

Anybody ever tried a Water Pik? That would be cool if it worked. I can't imagine buying one though.

It would take forever to clean a pot with one of those... though I imagine it would work nicely on difficult-to-access spouts and filters.

[Tead Off]

How do you all keep rankings from building up on irregularly glazed teawares? I'm thinking here of tea cups, pots and bowls where the surface irregularities make buffing with a cloth impractical--with rough bits that snag the cloth, or ridges that hide from a cloth--leaving a worse look than uniform tannin staining. I have not been happy with denture cleaner, just not effective enough. What do you use?

I'm having a hard time imagining what you are talking about. Can you post photos so we can see what it is you are referring to?

[.m.]

baking soda & toothbrush?

[Chip]

baking soda & toothbrush?

Isn't baking soda somewhat abrasive? It would likely work, but I would be concerned about micro scratching the finish?

Also, since this is irregularly glazed, rubbing with a toothebrush might also damage the glaze causing flaking?

[futurebird]

I tried a water pik (I have one) it's not very effective on my bumpy chawan.

[Tead Off]

baking soda & toothbrush?

Isn't baking soda somewhat abrasive? It would likely work, but I would be concerned about micro scratching the finish?

Also, since this is irregularly glazed, rubbing with a toothebrush might also damage the glaze causing flaking?

If you coat a surface with a paste of baking soda and let it sit for a time, it will absorb buildup without even rubbing the surface. Of course, if something is really deep, then some rubbing will be necessary.

[.m.]

baking soda & toothbrush?

Isn't baking soda somewhat abrasive? It would likely work, but I would be concerned about micro scratching the finish?

Also, since this is irregularly glazed, rubbing with a toothebrush might also damage the glaze causing flaking?

I've only had good experience with baking soda and water paste, using usually just my fingers if the surface is smooth. But i don't have any collector value teaware on which i would worry of microabrasion.

Would be very careful to use acids like lemon juice or vinegar, as they can slowly eat up some glazes (depending on quality and composition).

[debunix]

Here is the one piece I worry most about, now:

<

and before use



You can see that there is tannin staining in the middle of the individual 'tiles' of glaze across the bottom of the piece--rubbing a cloth across misses the slightly lower centers and gets the edges very clean. I can't rub too vigorously because the cloth can snag on the flakier bits of glaze. But I've also had cloth snag and less worrisome issues with coarse clay bits coming through glaze and the ridges left from wheel forming in my Oribe Hagi and similar pieces



where the cup looks a little bit striped again after a first round of cleaning with a damp cloth. I need to take well-lit photos with the good camera of one of the cups in question to demonstrate this better.

[Tead Off]

Put baking soda in a small tray, preferably in one with a top so you can use it easily, often. Dip your wet fingers gently into the soda then apply to the surface of the chawan. Repeat until you clean to desired effect. Easy. No need to use a cloth to buff.

[theredbaron]

I am somewhat lost here.

Why would you need to remove the tea stains? The more you use them the more beautiful these vessels become. Just wipe them after use with a wet cloth.

[Tead Off]

I am somewhat lost here.

Why would you need to remove the tea stains? The more you use them the more beautiful these vessels become. Just wipe them after use with a wet cloth.

This is definitely a matter of taste. Do you let tea stains build on your porcelain wares?