April Showers!

Here at Harry & Annies, April turns our hearts towards Spring, Easter, Easter Dinners....  Easter dinners make us think of vintage china!  Of course we love it here!  Even mismatched, lid missing pieces!  We like finding new ways to use orphan pieces of china!

But even more- we like RESCUING vintage pieces, so that it may be loved and admired once again!  This month, Kari is back with more tips on cleaning your antique china.

The first culprit of stained china is crazing.   Crazing is the fine lines or "cracks" that are on the top finish of your porcelain or china. It is damage to the finish. To avoid damage, care for it as discussed in our previous post.

If you see a stained piece that you fall in love with- don't hesitate to buy it.  There are a few tricks to restore it, that usually work most of the time! Each stain/china combo is different, but you may end up with a great deal by being willing to expend a little elbow grease!

The easiest way is to try a warm soak in stuff found right in your pantry.   A mix of equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt is fairly gentle.  Place your dish in it and soak, check every hour or so- make sure the shiny glazed surface of the piece is not being etched away.  I prefer to warm my container of vinegar slightly by setting the whole container in a pan of warm water.  If you have a stubborn spot, a little salt and water rubbed gently in small circles over the spot might dislodge surface crud.  Be sure not to use baking soda or you'll have a mess to deal with!

To kick it up a bit, this next tip is a bit more powerful.
Though fairly easy, please take proper safety precautions such as gloves and good ventilation.
Wear good quality rubber gloves if you try this method, as it is a bit caustic and can possibly burn your skin.
You will need Peroxide- and not the first aid peroxide you buy at the pharmacy. You need the beauty supply type- it is stronger.   In a plastic bowl (and plastic utensils) mix 1/3 water and 2/3 peroxide. Dip a q-tip or fine paintbrush with the mixture. Gently paint the spots that need cleaned, this will help to bleach the stain out. This can be a lengthy process and you'll probably need to repeat it several times to remove large stains.

Between these two methods you should be able to remove most stains!  Next month we'll chat about proper storing of  your treasures!

March Madness

So it's Ohio, and we're still socked into this cold yuckiness.  A perfect time to be indoors and admiring our pretties with a lovely cup of hot tea!  You just picked up a vintage set of china at Harry & Annies and now you want to know how to care for it you say?  Yay you!  What a great way to give instant warm and loving ambiance to any occasion!  Lets explore how to keep those treasures in great shape!

One of our vendors, Kari, used to work in the china department at Marshall Fields and this is how the china companies advised her on how to care for their patterns new and old.  Please keep in mind, each piece of antique china is unique, and may be more fragile than it looks.  Use your own best judgement as to whether or not these are the right steps for yours.  

1.  Don't use the dishwasher on anything made before 1960. The water is too hot, and detergent too strong.
2.  Use a gentle detergent. Dawn or Ivory are your best bet.
3.  Don't use boiling hot water. Warm is best. Too hot of water can lift gold or silver bands when touched.
4.  Avoid cleaners with bleach.
5.  Avoid lemon detergents too as they contain acid.
6.  Do you have a piece that needs a bit of scrubbing? Try a paste of baking soda- it won't harm the finish!

*Antique china should never be used in the microwave!

Stay tuned on our next post- we'll tell you how to take care of dark crazed spots on your china!