Is Pottery Dishwasher Safe?

Knowing how to wash your pottery is important to prolong it's beauty, functionality and safety.

It’s important to be able to identify the type of clay used and how it is glazed and fired.

– Earthenware clay   – Stoneware clay  – Porcelain clay and its counterparts 

There are three main types of pottery:

-Sometimes also called terracotta -is fired at lower temperatures  -is relatively soft and capable of being scratched with a sharp knife

Earthenware:

It is advisable to handwash earthenware pottery in warm water with mild dish soap.

Earthenware:

-dense -impermeable -hard enough to resist scratching -fired at high temperatures

Stoneware:

Most stoneware is dishwasher safe, depending on the glaze used.  Though strong detergents may, in time, alter the luster of the glaze

Stoneware:

- white, translucent or artificially colored  -resonant -strong and chip resistant.

Porcelain:

Tougher than it looks! Porcelain tolerates regular dishwashing depending on how it’s decorated.

Porcelain:

Glazes with gold and silver decals  do not stand up well to dishwasher environments and are best hand washed!

Glazes:

Remember that the purpose of pottery is not only functionality.  They are created to spark joy in their use! If handwashing puts you off using them, one might consider breaking the 'rules'...

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