Vintage China - Tips on Care of Vintage China

Violet trio - teacup,saucer and tea plate

When you have invested and bought a piece of vintage bone china or maybe a whole porcelain tea or dinner set -  if you take great care with your vintage china or porcelain it will ensure that you can have elegant tableware for either tea parties or dinner parties for many years to come.

Duchess bone china trio made in England

Vintage china and porcelain unfortunately is usually damaged when it is not handled, stored or cleaned correctly.

Here are some tips that I hope will help you look after your vintage fine china and porcelain dinner or tea sets and keep them in good condition ready for use.

Art Deco Vintage China Sandwich Plate in the very popular blue and white colours

If you are going to display your china and porcelain, ideally it should be away from direct sunlight and in a cabinet. Vintage china and porcelain needs to be well protected when not in use so storing plates unprotected on top of each other is not a good idea, a sheet of kitchen paper layered in between each plate – be it a bone china dinner plate, side plate or tea plate- will stop them from being scratched when moving the china in and out from shelving.

Eternal Beau China Teapot

Fancy Free Trio Set

Colclough Trio of Vintage C

Good china or porcelain dishes such as vintage or retro tureens, sugar bowls and sauce boats are better kept in a box where things such as handles are easier to break. Again kitchen hinapaper gently wrapped round your precious fine china or porcelain will help to protect it.
Also don’t stack cups but if possible display them on their saucer. Or carefully pack vintage teacups also in boxes out of harms way. If you only bring your bone china out for special occasions such as Christmas then if the vintage china and porcelain pieces are in more than one box it is a good idea to label outside the boxes what the contents are.

Never wash fine china in a dishwasher as the abrasive dishwasher tablets can harm the pattern on your vintage china plate or teacup and also damage the gilt trim which results in gradually eroding the pattern. When you have used your china for entertaining before washing ensure all food is carefully scraped off as not to damage the pattern or glaze. Wash a few pieces of your vintage china gently in the sink – don’t fill the sink up with the china - rinse the residue soap off and I prefer to let my fine china air dry in a dish drainer. Than when dry you can either put the china put away or out to display.

Your antique, vintage and retro china and porcelain will benefit greatly from gentle care and in time become a treasured family heirloom.


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