POTTERY CARE INSTRUCTIONS

How to care for your pottery pieces:

Handwashing is recommended whenever possible to extend the life of your pottery and to keep it in the best condition. Use a mild soap and soft sponge for best care.  Why handwash? The dishwasher detergents, high heat, and repeated high powered water spraying can damage the surface of the glaze over time. 

Avoid extreme temperature changes to prevent your piece from cracking or breaking. Pieces made at Humblebee Studios WA are made out of Stoneware and can withstand some thermal shock, but it’s best practice to pre-heat or pre-cool items before placing them into hot or cold environments. Allow pottery to cool before putting it into the fridge or on cold surfaces. Rinse with warm water to warm up pottery before putting hot liquids in it. 

Can I put it in the microwave? The short answer is that we don’t recommend it. The long answer is that while most handmade pottery is considered “microwave safe,” some pieces will not handle prolonged heating well and each microwave differs in power level. Therefore we recommend avoiding microwave use unless tested. And if you are planning on testing it, make sure the piece isn’t empty! Always make sure there is some fluid or food item inside to help absorb energy. 

How we test our pottery pieces:

Humblebee Studios WA uses mid-range stoneware for all pottery pieces at this time. Mid-range clay begins to mature and vitrify (become more glass-like and non-porous) around Cone 6 or 2232 degrees fahrenheit. Each of our pieces are fired with witness cones to ensure kiln temperatures reach appropriate levels. 

After firing, each piece is inspected for cracks or imperfections in surface glaze. Then all functional pieces that may come in contact with food or liquids are tested to see if they will withstand normal use by pouring boiling water into each vessel and then testing for leaks over 24hrs. 

With new glaze and clay combinations, we will also perform a “lemon test” to make sure the glaze combination is food safe* and will not leach heavy metals.

*all glazes purchased and used in the studio are labeled as “food-safe” when used properly and are lead-free, cadmium-free, and barium-free.