A few mindful habits will help your pieces last for years—and develop character along the way.
When you bring a handmade ceramic piece into your home, you're not just acquiring a vessel for your morning coffee or evening soup. You're welcoming something that was shaped by human hands, fired with intention, and carries the quiet imprint of its maker. These pieces don't ask for complicated care. They simply appreciate a little mindfulness—a gentle touch that honors the craft behind them.
Think of it as a conversation between you and the maker, continuing every time you use the piece.
Washing with Intention
Your dishwasher is a marvel of modern convenience, but it's not always a friend to handmade pottery. The harsh detergents and high-heat cycles can gradually dull a glaze's luster and stress the clay body over time. Hand-washing, by contrast, is a simple ritual that preserves both the finish and the spirit of the piece.
Fill your sink with warm water and a mild, non-abrasive soap. Use a soft sponge rather than scouring pads, and wash gently without applying pressure to any thin areas like handles or rims. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth—or let pieces air-dry on a wooden rack, where the water can evaporate naturally.
A note on unglazed foot rings: Many handmade pieces have unglazed clay where they rest on the kiln shelf. These areas are slightly porous and may absorb water during washing. Simply wipe them dry with a cloth before setting the piece aside—this prevents any moisture from wicking into cabinets or staining surfaces.
Storing with Care
How you store your ceramics matters as much as how you use them. Stacking seems efficient, but without protection, rims can chip and handles can bear weight they weren't designed to carry. The goal is to let each piece rest without pressure from above.
When you do stack—mugs nested together, bowls of similar sizes—place a soft buffer between them. Felt pads, cloth napkins, or even coffee filters work beautifully. These thin layers prevent the slight movement that causes wear over time and protect those delicate glazed surfaces from scratching one another.
I keep a small stack of linen squares in my kitchen drawer, specifically for this purpose. It's become part of the ritual.
Protect against thermal shock: Handmade ceramics are sturdy, but they don't appreciate sudden temperature swings. Moving a piece directly from the refrigerator to a hot oven, or pouring boiling water into a cold mug, can cause cracks from thermal stress. Let pieces come to room temperature gradually, and pre-warm vessels with a splash of hot water before adding steaming liquids.
Embracing the Patina of Use
Here is something important to understand: your ceramics will change over time. And this is not a flaw—it's a feature.
Plates may develop faint knife marks where you've cut your bread. Mugs might show slight staining from your daily tea ritual. Unglazed surfaces will gradually darken and soften with handling, developing what ceramicists call a patina—a visual record of the life the piece has lived with you.
These marks don't diminish the piece. They deepen its story. A handmade ceramic that looks exactly the same after ten years as it did on day one probably spent those years in a cabinet, not in daily use.
If staining bothers you, a paste of baking soda and water applied gently can lighten most surface marks. But consider leaving them. They're evidence of a life well-lived, shared between you and the maker who formed the clay.
Small Repairs and Knowing When to Let Go
Accidents happen. A chip appears on a rim, a handle loosens, a crack forms. Not all damage means the end of a piece's useful life—but some does, and knowing the difference matters.
Minor chips on the outside of a vessel or on the base can often be smoothed carefully with fine-grit sandpaper (400-grit or higher), wet-sanding to avoid dust. This won't restore the piece to new condition, but it removes sharp edges and allows safe continued use. Always sand gently and rinse thoroughly afterward.
Cracks, however, are different. Any crack that penetrates the wall of a food-use vessel means it's time to retire that piece from kitchen duty. Bacteria can lodge in cracks, and thermal stress will eventually worsen the damage. A cracked mug can become a pencil holder. A cracked bowl might hold keys by the door or serve as a nesting spot for small plants. Repurposing is not failure—it's a continuation.
- Retired mugs: pencil holders, brush crocks, small plant pots
- Retired bowls: catch-alls for keys and jewelry, planters for succulents
- Retired plates: display pieces, candle holders, wall art
I've kept every piece I've ever made that didn't pass my quality standards. They hold my tools now. Nothing is wasted.
The Best Care Is Daily Use
It might seem counterintuitive, but the kindest thing you can do for your handmade ceramics is to use them. Regularly. Daily, if possible.
These pieces were not created to be admired from a distance, to sit behind glass or wait for special occasions. They were made to be held, to witness your morning routines, to accompany your quiet evenings. The warmth of your hands, the repetition of use—these are what handmade pottery was designed for.
So wash them gently, store them thoughtfully, accept their small changes over time. But above all, reach for them. Let them be part of your everyday life. That's where they truly come alive.
Have questions about caring for a specific piece? Every item in the studio collection comes with care guidance tailored to its glaze and form. Reach out anytime—I read every message.