How to Remove Tea and coffee stains from your Ceramic Mugs

It is a common occurrence for mugs used everyday to become badly stained by tea or coffee. The brown stains are unsightly and difficult to remove. Sometimes they become so bad that scrubbing in soapy water does not remove them. Clearly coffee and tea are strong staining agents!

"But what causes the staining?"
It is a combination of hard water, chemicals called tannins, and microscopically rough glaze surfaces. These conditions allow the stains to strongly adhere to the glaze surface. The staining is usually worse in the base of the mug or where there is a sharp corner to hold on to the stain.

"So how do I clean stained mugs?"
Various cleaning methods have been tried and tested including vinegar, bleach, baking soda and washing soda. All have been proven to be successful and are widely used. However Bar Keepers Friend and tooth cleaning powders are less likely to give long lasting damage to the glaze surface. Cleaning with other chemical compounds and scourers whilst successful can create damage to the glaze surface which will make them more susceptible to future staining. So please take special care with your best china or dinnerware and treat them gently for their long term protection.

"So how do I stop staining?"
Manufacturers of the top brands of dinnerware and mugs design their products to resist staining and damage in use. In essence this is done by ensuring the glaze is chemically and physically durable. However,with the widespread manufacture of mugs in many parts of the globe including Asia, it is not easy to know the source and quality of the ceramic mugs we buy.It is almost impossible to assess how resistant mugs will be to staining by visual inspection. Smooth glaze surfaces with few corners will reduce the potential for the stain to adhere strongly to the surface. However, over time the glaze surface may be attacked by dish-washing agents. leading to the dreaded staining.Cleaning the pottery soon after use with warm soapy water will certainly reduce the possibility of staining.

"Summary"

To reduce tea and coffee staining of your mugs, clean them as soon as possible after use in warm soapy water. Use quality mugs from top brands as they will have designed the mugs to be chemically and physically durable. Avoid harsh detergents for cleaning as this can damage the glaze surface and lead to greater staining. Bar Keepers Friend and tooth cleaning powders are preferred cleaners and less likely to create long term damage. If all else fails buy new quality mugs but recycle the old ones. Pottery is a truly 100% recyclable product!

More information and other technical articles on pottery and ceramics can be found at my website The Potters Friend. Go now to sign up for my free newsletter.

Is Your Pottery Microwave Safe?

Microwave ovens are now a common feature in most kitchens. Their use both to heat and cook food means a wide range of ceramics is being used in microwave ovens. However the question remains….Is all pottery microwave safe?

Technically this question is a little more complex than it appears. There are general rules such as:-
“do not use ceramics decorated with gold, silver or precious metal in microwave ovens”

 Indeed ceramic with any metal should not be used in a microwave oven. However additional rules depend on recognising which type of ceramic is being used. For the consumer this is not an easy task.

All ceramics are not the same!

Ceramics are now made all over the world and it is not always easy to establish their source or quality or type. However ceramics that have been fired to a high temperature and are non porous are generally considered to be acceptable for use in microwave ovens. These ceramics include stoneware, porcelain, bone china, and vitreous cookware. Other ceramics which have not been fired to a high temperature have to be used with caution. For these type of product to be used safely there is a need to ensure that they are both dry and have not absorbed water. This can happen in many circumstances particularly during washing or in storage in the fridge. These products need extensive safety instructions to be used safely.

Top brands help the consumer by labelling their products as ‘microwave safe’. Less well known products cannot give this assurance and often do not label at all. So buyer beware and if in doubt do not use in a microwave. Look out for BS or CE standards as a sign of meeting a quality standard.

In summary, most high fired ceramics are suitable for microwave oven use. Lookout for the labelling used by branded products to give reassurance on acceptability for microwave oven use. If in doubt “keep out” is a good motto to remember!

Why not test your pottery knowledge with my quick pottery quiz

More information and other technical articles on pottery and ceramics can be found at my website The Potters Friend

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Top 10 Pottery Making Tips for the more experienced Potter

Pottery making is a fun but sometimes frustrating hobby. You never know exactly what your results will be when you open that kiln door! Here are my tips to make pottery making that little bit more rewarding......

1. Keep records of everything you do-that way you learn quickly and can repeat your successes and avoid your failures.

2. Label your buckets not your lids- don't learn the hard way that you have just glazed your speciality piece in the wrong glaze!

3. Buy a kiln with a modern controller. Modern controllers are now relatively inexpensive and give you such freedom to control the firing in a way that best suits your product.

4. Keep drying of your product consistent. Drying too quickly is one the most common causes of glaze or clay faults.

5. Learn something about the materials you use. Armed with a little knowledge you can save so much time.e.g. Does glaze go off? What happens to my clay if it freezes?

6. Keep your clay in good condition by covering it with plastic when not in use. That way it retains its plastic condition.

7. Plaster moulds need to be replaced after 40-50 casts. It is false economy in slip casting to continue to use old moulds. These may give inconsistent thickness, pinholed ware and much more besides!

8. Use Orton cones or Bullers rings in your kiln. That way you know your kiln is performing OK and you can spot potential problems such as element failure before they become disastrous.

9. Give some pieces to your loved ones or to charity. The feel good factor will keep you motivated.

10. Continue to share your passion with others. Go to pottery classes and learn something new or join an online pottery group.



Alternatively why not test your pottery knowledge with my quick pottery quiz

More information and other technical articles on pottery and ceramics can be found at my website www.pottersfriend.co.uk

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How to avoid scratching your dinnerware

So why does it scratch?

A scratch on a plate at high magnification

Pottery is hard and strong! If you don't believe me try cutting it with the sharpest steel knife you have. Whilst it may mark it will not break. Steels used in everyday cutlery are softer than pottery glaze!

To scratch a pottery glaze you need a material of similar or greater hardness. So pottery can scratch itself. Glaze on glaze contact will cause surface damage and when there is excessive or repeated damage the eye sees it as a scratch!

So a scratch isn't a scratch until you can see it!
Glazed pottery is susceptible to surface damage as soon as it comes out of the production kiln. During the manufacturing process care is taken to avoid excessive damage by careful handling of the pieces, the use of protective sleeves and optimum packaging for transport.

However in our homes damage to our pottery happens all the time. For example each time we use a plate it is damaged by contact with other pottery. Creating a plate stack to clear the table, placing plates on each other in the sink, washing them in detergent, sliding them into clean stacks all contribute to damage. Clearly there is a cumulative effect of this damage which results in the appearance of scratching.

So how can scratching be avoided?

Taking care to handle the ware gently, in a similar way to the manufacturer, will extend the life of the pottery. Using protective sleeves and avoiding sliding contact are particularly important. In addition the ware can be adversely affected by detergents and strong acids so prolonged contact with these chemicals should be avoided.

Whilst these precautions may seem fanciful and few people will take the time or effort to follow them, they do work!

Alternatively, if all this is too much then there is one other thing you can do......buy pottery that has a glaze that is not highly glossy and has a less than mirror like finish! Whilst this does not reduce the damage, scratches normally visible to the naked eye are less apparent, and the ware appears less scratched.

Alternatively why not test your pottery knowledge with my quick pottery quiz

More information and other technical articles on pottery and ceramics can be found at my website www.pottersfriend.co.uk

Go now to sign up for my free newsletter.

How to choose your kitchen or bathroom DIY ceramic tiles

Introduction
Planning and upgrading your bathroom or kitchen is not always an easy task. You are full of enthusiasm but are faced with lots of choices. The choice of ceramic tiles is bewildering. Usually colour, design and budget are the key factors affecting your choice. However I would add a further factor ‘technical performance’. Remember all tiles labeled as ‘ceramic’ are not the same. Indeed some natural mineral tiles such as slate or marble sometimes use the same terminology.

To most people tiles are tiles – aren’t they? Well no! You need to know there are at least 2 categories of ceramic tile; floor tiles and wall tiles. What makes them different is ‘technical performance’. They are both usually made of ceramic, they can both be glazed with a shiny surface and both can be highly coloured with designs. However they do not have the same technical performance in use!

Wall tiles
Wall tiles are usually porous (on the back) and have a highly glossy glaze finish on the face. This allows them to be hygienic, cleanable, and not absorb moisture on the face when exposed to wet conditions in bathrooms and kitchens. However in manufacture they are normally fired in a fast fire kiln in less than one hour. This means they have limited strength, abrasion and slip resistance.

Floor tiles
In contrast floor tiles are fired to a higher temperature usually with a special glaze coating. This gives a much increased strength, abrasion and slip resistance. Clearly this gives advantages when used under foot where stronger tiles are less likely to crack, scratch or wear out as well as resist slipping. Indeed a number of standards need to be met for tiles to be considered suitable for floor tile use. So choose wisely for your location. Floor tiles for floors, and wall tiles for walls!

Colour and finish
A second consideration is tile finish and colour. Although this is generally down to individual taste, for best slip performance floor tiles have a dull gloss or matt texture. Wall tiles can have a much wider range of textures and gloss but a smoother finish is usually more easily cleaned than a textured finish. Please be aware that although most tiles supplied in a box set are matching in design and colour they are not identical!

Quality
Probably the most important aspect of tiles is the quality of manufacture. This is not easy to assess. It means how strong are they? How long will they last? How flat are they (tiles warp during manufacture)? How easy are they to install?

Although most tiles supplied by reputable suppliers are manufactured to European standard BSEN14411 or American ASTM standard equivalents, it is not readily apparent by how much they exceed these standards. In Europe the CE Mark is a sign of quality adopted by tile manufacturers. Established brands like Marazzi or Porcelanosa are constantly pushing the boundaries to produce consistent products which exceed expectation in terms of quality, design and performance.

Summary
In summary, take a little time to choose the right type of tile for your job. Look for the CE marks or the BS standards on the packaging as a sign of meeting a quality standard. Use quality branded products if possible as often they give better performance in use and have been designed for ease of installation.

Is there a future for pottery manufacture in Europe?

This is a big subject and worthy of debate! Over the last 20 years the ceramic industry in Europe has undergone massive change.

The tableware sector (cups & plates etc) in Europe has seen severe downsizing with manufacture shifting to the lower cost economies in China and Asia. The change in consumer habits in western europe to less formal dining has meant a change in perception of pottery from a collectable item to a throwaway one. This is particularly noticeable with the younger generation who want fashionable ware for casual dining.The result has been a massive reduction in demand for the high value products and a growth in lower value products. This has been reinforced (in the UK) by the growth in supermarket sales by companies such as Tesco who constantly drive down prices forcing manufacturers to import or close down. That said there is still a place for the niche manufacturer who can move quickly with new and quality designs. Brand value is still important in this higher end sector.

The giftware sector (figures and decorative ware) has also been hit by the same trends as above. Collectable figures and plates are less popular among the younger generation whilst fashionable branded giftware has been more popular. Again there is a lot of competition in this sector from Asian imports so strong brands and new designs are critical to success.

To answer the question- is there a future -the answer is yes but only for the niche manufacturer who can be constantly innovative and build a brand of value. Speed of new products to market will be a critical factor!

What do you think? I would be happy to recieve your comments.

Start Pottery By Getting A Kit

By: Freddy Roy

Pottery is a great skill to learn and a good deal of fun. If you are the type of person that has a mild interest in pottery but aren't sure you want to make the level of commitment required to take a class on pottery you may find that various pottery kits on the market offer some degree of appeal to you and can help you determine if you are ready to go a step further and sign up for some classes or purchase additional materials and equipment in order to further your home education.

Pottery kits are also an excellent idea for kids who seem to have an interest in pottery but often flit from one interest to another fairly quickly without giving too much effort to any. If your child successfully completes a few kits and still exhibits an interest, then perhaps the more substantial investment of lessons may be in order. Kits definitely cost less than the average lessons but also offer fewer options for advanced learning and one on one instruction that can be invaluable when taking pottery lessons.

Pottery kits are much less expensive than taking traditional lessons. This allows you to gaze your true interest in pottery when faced with the reality of what pottery is and is not. You should keep in mind however that there are many other considerations that should not be overlooked when using these kits to judge your real interests in pottery as the kits are often very simple and designed to be fun for beginners though not very challenging. If you are looking for a challenge, it is unlikely you will find that in many of the pottery kits that are on the market today.

Another thing to remember about pottery kits is that the products you make in these kits are not likely to be watertight or able to handle food. This limits the usefulness of these items though it doesn't mean that they aren't good tools for learning the very basics of the craft and having a lot of fun in the process. One great thing about pottery kits is that this is something you can do with your children if you are so inclined and you can all have a fun day together while learning a new skill and making a really big mess. There aren't too many times you can say that with your children that there aren't too many calories involved to count.

Pottery kits can be found to fit many different budgets and a few different levels of pre-existing skills. You can always upgrade equipment later if you find that you really do enjoy the process of working with clay to create pottery pieces and if you decide to upgrade, then you will want to do a good deal of research to ensure you are getting the equipment that will best suit your specific needs, desires, and budget.

Learning to make pottery is a great deal of fun for the right person. Pottery kits offer a glimpse into working with clay and creating pottery for those who aren't quite certain whether or not they want to pursue pottery making on a larger scale. If this is you, pick up a pottery kit today, you can find them easily online and at most local craft supply stores. Remember have fun!

About the Author

To read about flowering pear tree, growing celery and other information, visit the Gardening Central site.

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