Pottery Care

To retain the quality of your ceramics and ensure longevity, here is some general advice about how to take care of your pieces. For more information on individual products, please check out their respective product pages or please feel free to send me an email.

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Cleaning

All Argilla’s dinnerware products are dishwasher safe. I don’t recommend washing ceramics with metal gilding (or any kind of metallic decorations) in the dishwasher because they could wear out over time. If you wash it by hand, use a soft scrub brush and dish soap, and avoid metal and abrasive sponges. Try not to bang the pieces together and treat them like glass. Do not wash a ceramic piece while still hot. The temperature change could cause thermal shock in the piece and cause it to break; wait for the piece to cool completely before washing. After washing, let it dry off completely before placing it in the kitchen cupboard.

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Stains

Matte glazes may stain with prolonged contact with beets, turmeric, or other staining foods. Stained unglazed surfaces can be cleaned by scrubbing with a paste of baking soda and water.

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Microwave

Argilla’s dinnerware products are microwave safe, except those that have metal gilding (or any kind of metallic decorations). As the food or liquid rises in temperature in the microwave, so will the ceramic. If the food or liquid is heated for a long time, the ceramic will be hot, even the handles. How hot the ceramic gets depends on the level setting and how long the ceramic is in the microwave. Use caution when removing from the microwave; use a hot pad or an oven mitt.

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Oven

Argilla’s products are not tested for oven use. Even though stoneware and porcelain are usually oven safe, I do not recommend using them in the oven. Never use on a stove-top burner or when there is a direct heat source touching the pot..

Black and white drawing of a thermometer with a rounded top and a black base

Temperature control

Argilla’s products are very capable of handling both hot temperatures and cold temperatures. However, when a piece is taken from one extreme to the other quickly, it can cause the ceramic to crack or break. Remember to transition your ceramic from one temperature to the next slowly, and you will avoid this circumstance.

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Refrigeration & Freezer

All Argilla’s dinnerware products are refrigerator safe. I recommend that you place the ceramics in the freezer only for a short period of time. Chilling the piece is fine, but do not freeze with the contents in the piece. Increase or decrease the temperatures slowly to avoid thermal shock.

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Outdoor use

Argilla’s planters are tested for outdoor use in New York climate, but note that a pot with very wet soil that freezes during a long, hard freeze is very likely to crack from the expansion of the water.

NOTE FOR MATCH STRIKERS
The porcelain jar is dishwasher safe, but please avoid getting the striker stickers wet—if saturated, they may peel off.

For longevity, I recommend hand washing, and keeping the strike pad dry.

NOTE FOR PORCELAIN JEWELRY
While made from high-fired porcelain, rings require different care than tableware.

Click here for detailed jewelry care instructions.