Care and Repair of China Dishes and Ornaments

Fine china, especially if hand-painted, should always be washed separately from other dished and silverware, preferably in a plastic bowl, using hot but not boiling water and a mild detergent. Avoid using any cleanser which contains an abrasive. Use a soft brush to clean any crevices. Rinse in clear, warm water. If a dishwasher is used, avoid adding too much detergent.

China should be rinsed as soon as possible after use, especially if it has contained vinegar, salt, lemon juice or wine. Tea and coffee stains can be removed by wiping with a damp cloth dipped in bicarbonate of soda or borax, before rinsing.

Hardware shops and china stores sell special products for removing stubborn stains.

To protect china

Put only ovenproof dishes in a hot oven.

Do not put hot food on cold plates.

Cool dishes to room temperature before stacking them

To prevent chipping, put paper towels between plates when stacking them.

Lay cups on their sides in groups of four, with the handle of each cup inside the bowl of another, and place the group on stacked saucers.

Repairing china

Mend breaks with one of the slow setting epoxy glues that allow time to reposition the pieces if necessary, and are waterproof when cured. First clean broken edges with methylated spirit, applied with a brush. Mix the glue according to the maker’s instructions and then apply a thin coat to both edges to be joined and press together. Repairs to handles are unlikely to be strong enough to withstand normal use.

To achieve a good join, an even and constant pressure must be applied for at least 12 hours, until the glue has set. This can sometimes be achieved simply by applying a weight or by binding the pieces together with adhesive tape or gummed paper.

To repair plates that have broken in two, hold the two halves together with clothespins until the glue dries. Another approach, useful when a plate has broken into more than two pieces, is to prepare a mold by taking an impression in modeling clay, obtainable from a craft shop, from a matching plate. Glue the broken pieces and fit them together in the mold and then leave to set.

Use the frayed end of a matchstick dipped in methylated spirit to remove any surplus adhesive before it dries. Remove partially hardened adhesive with a razor blade or sharp knife.

Fill chips in china with a mixture of epoxy resin and whiting ( finely powdered chalk obtainable from hardware stores).

Before it is completely set, cut off any surplus with a sharp knife. When set, carefully rub the filled surface with a piece of dampened 600 or 700 grade wet or dry paper until it is smooth.