How to clean a ceramic ashtray (and keep the glaze bright)

Glazed ceramic is about the easiest ashtray material to live with. The surface is glass-hard, non-porous and doesn't hold smell, so routine care is minimal. A few notes for the long run:

Day to day. Empty it, rinse with warm water, wipe with a soft cloth. Mild dish soap if it needs it. Dry it before it goes back on the table so water doesn't sit in the rest.

Stubborn residue. Let it soak in warm soapy water for a while, then wipe. A paste of baking soda and water on a cloth deals with tar marks without scratching the glaze.

What to avoid. Metal scourers and abrasive powders — they can dull the glaze, and on the hand-painted pieces they can wear the painted detail. Avoid sudden temperature shocks: don't pour boiling water into a cold piece, and don't put a hot piece under cold water. We recommend washing by hand rather than in a dishwasher, especially for hand-painted pieces.

Chips and knocks. Ceramic is hard, not unbreakable. It survives normal use for years; a fall onto stone is another matter. Pick it up rather than sliding it across a rough surface, and it will stay as it arrived.

Looked after this way, a piece from the collection stays bright for as long as you want it on the table. Questions about a specific piece? Write to us.