Cleaning of antique ceramics fare far beyond soaps and hot water, detergents and elbow grease. Often, through age, storage, handling, freezing in that cold attic the glaze actually cracks and is referred to as crazing, Those tiny little lines that authenticate that the piece is old and original. This allows for dirt and stains to access spaces under the glaze or finish of pottery and porcelain. The Scinde Staffordshire piece by H. Alcock on the left, is a good example of this. As in the first picture when it arrived here. the second is after several steps in the cleaning and the ceramic restoration process.
There are both Biological, as well as Chemical methods to abate staining and dirt that has gone below the surface of your ceramic pottery.
AND...Keep in mind...once in a while we run accros an item that resists all approaches to removing ALL of the stain. Frosted pieces for example.
There are both Biological, as well as Chemical methods to abate staining and dirt that has gone below the surface of your ceramic pottery.
AND...Keep in mind...once in a while we run accros an item that resists all approaches to removing ALL of the stain. Frosted pieces for example.
Cleaning of Ceramics and Pottery
The nature and character of the peice dictates the approach to the resolution of stain and soil in ceramic bodies
This Alfred Meakin "Superior" pattern sauce dish covers the subject of both crazing and staining quite well. The staining often consists of various types of grease or other organic materials trapped within the ceramic piece which only becomes evident during the ceramic cleaning process.
Some ceramic cleaning requires repeated application. This peice was in two Biological applications and about seven Chemical application before resolution was attained to this level.
This is part of the reason that one cannot provide an exact finish date for any ceramic cleaning or ceramic restoration.
On our next page is an EXTREME and unexpected example of the suprises that can be found in the restoration of ceramics and pottery.
Some ceramic cleaning requires repeated application. This peice was in two Biological applications and about seven Chemical application before resolution was attained to this level.
This is part of the reason that one cannot provide an exact finish date for any ceramic cleaning or ceramic restoration.
On our next page is an EXTREME and unexpected example of the suprises that can be found in the restoration of ceramics and pottery.
When you have tried all the other methods that you have searched for, tried and failed, for cleaning old pottery, ironstone, marble or ceramics YankeeLake restoration can most likely get that done for you.
See Before/After Cleaning
Place Mouse over Pics
ATTENTION...PLEASE NOTE: Some people resort to using BLEACH on dirty ceramics and depending on what is causing the stain and it may seem to work. BLEACH however gets into the crazing and under the glaze only to eventually crystallize and push up whole areas of glaze after months or even years, making the restoration of your piece either impossible, or very expensive as the reversal of this crystallization is extremely difficult. DON'T DO IT!
YankeeLake Restoration Services
