How To Care For Your Pottery
Below we have assembled a few notes, guidelines or suggestions for your new piece of pottery. Please keep in mind that everybody's intention and frequency of use for each piece is different so, as it is often said, "your results may vary". Although, around here, we feel that this natural aging and the slow changes that come with each piece are something one can appreciate as part of the beauty of owning something that is made by hand.
Dishwasher vs. Handwashing
We generally prefer handwashing over a dishwasher, but all pieces are dishwasher safe, other than those noted below. If handwashing use
Items that feature wood should only be handwashed in warm mildly soapy water taking care to avoid getting the wood handle wet. If you do get the handle wet, just let it dry naturally. And don't worry about it! Chances are that if it's driftwood, it was floating around in some lake for a few months or more. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Similarly, items that feature cane or anything woven, should also only be handwashed in warm mildly soapy water, taking care to avoid getting the woven handle wet. If you do get the handle wet, just let it dry naturally.
Pottery Featuring Wood
Over time, depending on use, pieces with wood parts, especially those that are handles may get lightly soiled. You have a few options here. One is to obviously leave it as is. The other is lightly sand it with 400 grit sandpaper taking care to not sand to the point where you could weaken the handle. This will give you a finish most similar to the original appearance. Finally, you could also sand it as described and then finish it with a natural food safe treatment such as Danish oil, beeswax, a butcher block oil or Howard's Feed-n-Wax. This will give the wood a more "finished" appearance that will most likely be darker than the original.
Glazes
Handmade glazes can sometimes be very different than your average commercial mass-produced glazes. Depending on use, beverages such as coffee and tea can, over time stain a piece. Sometimes this effect can be quite appealing especially when it fills in the hairline cracks in a glaze (usually a light colored one) leaving a crackle or spiderweb appearance. Often times a potter will strive to achieve this look in the original glazing. If this starts to appear in your cup, for instance, and you'd like the outside to match the inside, you can attempt to soak the entire piece in extra strength coffee or tea for a day or two.