Care & maintenance of ceramics

• Always let it sit and absorb water before and after use. This will prevent the tea from soaking and staining or help remove the smell.
• In preparing the bottom of the ceramics where there are usually no glazes, soothe it with sandpaper or whetstone to smoothen it.
• A Hagiyaki ceramic is not glazed and may leak the first few times it is used. Repeated usage will allow the tea to seal it. But if leaking continues, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 500cc of boiled water, pour into the ceramics and let it sit for 6 hours.

• Never use ceramics in microwave ovens as extreme high temperatures will discolor and break it.
• After washing, make sure it is thoroughly dry, as it may cause moldings, especially with Hagiyaki ceramics.
• Avoid leaving any food or liquid with oil, alcohol or high acid content into your ceramics. This will leave the ceramics sticky and smelling bad.
• In glazed potteries, little cracks actually add to the character or the pieces.