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As with any product in the marketplace, proper care and usage of fine china, crystal, and silverware can help you maintain your purchases in top condition. Some products have specific care and usage requirements that the following guidelines may not cover. Email us your specific questions and we will be glad to help further if we can.
Yes, you may wash fine china in dishwashers, however we strongly recommend hand-washing fine china with gold or metallic rims. While using a dishwasher, use the following guidelines to minimize potential problems.
DO:
-Load the dishwasher so that no two pieces will touch each other to avoid chipping and cracking.
-Use the gentle cycle with a smaller than recommended amount of high quality liquid detergent
-Let the china cool to room temperature before unloading
DON'T:
-use a dishwasher with a hard water supply (i.e. a hard mineral content)
-expose your fine china to a heated drying cycle
-use industrial detergent that is highly abrasive
When storing fine china, place something between the plates such as paper towels to prevent the bottom of one plate scratching the top of another. Gold or Metallic banded china cannot be used in a microwave under any circumstances. Do not subject china to extreme temperature changes (e.g. directly from a freezer to the oven) Everyday China is generally designed to be used in the dishwasher and microwave. However, take care when storing to avoid scratches.
DO:
-Wash crystal by hand with warm, soapy water
- Be careful when drying stemware that you do not twist the stem apart
-Rinse crystal in water
-Dry carefully with a soft cloth
-Line the sink with a rubber mat to prevent accidental chipping
-Appreciate the uniqueness of mouth-blown crystal stemware which naturally contains variations in shape and small air bubbles. These authenticate your pieces as mouth-blown crystal.
-Store upright on the stems
DON'T:
-Wash crystal in a dishwasher
-Subject crystal to extreme temperature changes
-Invert stems for storage as this can cause damage with some designs
You can wash silverplate and Sterling Flatware in a dishwasher. However, hand washing is highly recommended.
DO:
-Wash your silver immediately after use
-Rinse and dry thoroughly while it is still warm (it is preferable to dry silver by hand)
-Store your silverplate once it has cooled
-embrace scratches in your sterling and silverplate as it is these scratches interlaced which give your silver the soft, rich, lustrous finish characteristic of cherished, old silverware.
-use silverware daily as this enhances its beauty and is the best care you can give it
-polish tarnished silver with a high quality silver polish to achieve best results. Again, the best way to prevent tarnish is to use your silver often.
DON'T:
-use detergents containing chloride
-wash silver and stainless items at the same time as they can react to each other
-leave knives in water for a long period of time. Knives require a carbon steel formula so that the blade can be sharp to form a cutting edge. Prompt and complete drying prevents rust on knives, pits on blades, and spotting on silverware.
18/8 or 18/10 Stainless Steel flatware is the best metal for cutlery on the market today. 18/8 indicates the steel formula contains 18 parts chrome and 8 parts nickel. As the name implies, stainless steel will stain less easily than most other metals but can stain under adverse conditions. (18/8 or 18/10 will stain much less easily than lesser quality stainless steel)
DO:
-Clean in hot water; use a good quality detergent, and dry completely
-Wash out all food stains promptly before loading in dishwasher
DON'T:
-Load the knives (which necessarily include a carbon steel formula) with the forks and spoons so that they do not react with each other and cause pitting
