TABLEWARE

Wedgwood and Johnson Bros tableware are all made to be used. Before being accepted for production, all new patterns are put through an exhaustive series of tests to ensure they are as hard wearing as possible. Quality checks are constantly carried out on tableware to monitor its ability to resist acids, alkalis and other substances present in foods and detergents, and withstand the general rigours of day-to-day use. So don’t keep your tableware locked away, use it and enjoy it with confidence.

Storing Your Tableware

All tableware is subject to abrasion from repeated handling and stacking. We recommend that you stack no more than six items together, one on top of another. To avoid scratching your tableware, plates should not be slid out from the bottom of a stack – always lift them out from the top.

Washing By Hand

As a matter of hygiene, you should always wash any new purchases of tableware before first use in a mild solution of liquid detergent.

Washing-up is one of the occasions when tableware can be damaged if it is not properly handled during both washing and draining. Even in water, the glazed surfaces can become scratched if rubbed against each other with force. So avoid putting too many plates in the water at any one time.

Normal dish washing products used in hand-hot water will not harm your tableware. Teapot and coffeepot stains can be removed with bicarb soda, and silverware cleaner will remove “pencil marks” caused by minute deposits of metal from cutlery. Abrasives and harsh scourers should not be used on your bone china tableware.

Washing Your Tableware In A Dishwasher

It is perfectly safe to wash your tableware in an automatic dishwasher, so long as these guidelines are adhered to.

• Load the washer so that pieces do not touch each other, to avoid the risk of scratching. Do not overload.
• Use a liquid detergent and follow the manufacturers instructions on the appropriate quantity of detergent to be used (avoid using corrosive dish washing agents such as tablets or granules).
• Wash at 65°C maximum – the “short wash” or “china and crystal” cycle is sufficient for normal cleaning.
• As soon as the wash water has drained away, there should be an immediate rinse cycle to flush away deposits of detergent which will form a film if allowed to dry.

Modern detergents, particularly the liquid type, can be used safely for washing tableware. In dishwashers, we recommend the use of Finish Liquid.

Freezers

Wedgwood and Johnson Bros tableware can be safely used in a freezer. However, care should be taken when re-heating frozen foods. No matter how strong the tableware, sudden changes of temperature (e.g. taking from the freezer and placing directly into a hot oven) is likely to cause thermal shock, which will damage the tableware.

Warming Your Tableware

It is perfectly safe to warm your tableware in your oven, up to 65°C. However, it should never be exposed to direct heat from a naked flame or to rapid changes in temperature.

Microwave Cooking

Many of the Wedgwood and Johnson Bros tableware patterns can safely be used in a microwave oven. However, tableware decorated with any form of metallic rim or decoration (gold, silver or platinum) must not be placed in a microwave oven, where the intense heat will damage its high concentrations of precious metal. Never use your tableware in a microwave oven with the oven function.

JASPERWARE

(UNIQUE STONEWARE CONTAINS COLORANT IN THE BODY.)

We recommend that you should hand-wash your jasperware in moderately hot water with a mild detergent. For more stubborn stains, rub the Jasperware with a toothbrush or a small brush with polishing powder.
Never use your Jasperware in a microwave oven, conventional oven or refrigerator. Sudden changes of temperature are likely to cause cracking or breakage.

CRYSTAL

Waterford Crystal recommends that you hand-wash your crystal one piece at a time in moderately hot water using a mild detergent. Use a soft cleaning cloth – do not use scouring pads or abrasive cleansers.
The interiors of decanters and vases, which are often inaccessible, can be cleaned by pouring in rice with warm soapy water and swirling the mixture around.

After washing in detergent, rinse your crystal well in clean water then air dry on a draining rack or hand dry with a soft lint-free cloth. The rims are naturally the weakest part of stemware, so do not place glasses upside down on the draining rack or when storing them. When hand drying, hold the glass by the bowl but refrain from twisting the stem and the bowl in opposite directions as this can cause the stem to snap.
Tests (by association) suggest that repeated washings in very hot water and detergent can create a cloudy look on the surface of the finest crystal. Waterford Crystal does not recommend cleaning crystal using a dishwasher as the extreme heat and abrasive cleaners may mark the surface of the crystal. Jostling in a dishwasher could also cause chipping or cracking.

To prevent cracking or breakage caused by extreme temperature variations, do not pour cold liquids into crystal that has just been washed in hot water. Likewise, allow chilled crystal to reach room temperature before immersing in hot water.

To safely remove wax from your crystal candlesticks after use, place your candlestick in the freezer for 10 minutes. The wax will harden, allowing it to easily peel away. Do not use water to remove wax.

SILVER PLATED PRODUCTS

For general cleaning, silver plated items should be wiped gently with a clean soft cloth without detergent or chemicals. Solvents such as enamel remover or thinner, abrasives, harsh scourers, wire wool or hard scrubbing brushes should not be used on silver plated products at any time as they will damage the surface.
Silver plated product may get discoloured over time, in which case, please polish with a silver cleaner or a polish specially formulated for cleaning silver.

If you don't intend to use your silver plated product for a long period, wrap it in a cloth and place it in storage to avoid exposure to air as this will slow down discoloration. Silver items should not be stored in direct contact with leather or rubber, such as elastic bands.