How to clean and maintain Jianzhan Tenmoku cups

1.How to clean a new cup?

When we get a new cup, first wash the inside and outside of the cup with clean water to remove the dust and ore particles left in the firing process; then boil it in boiling water for a few minutes, which can sterilize and reduce the smell of soil. Allow the boiled cup to cool naturally, then rinse with water, wipe the cup dry with an absorbent paper towel or cleaning cloth, or let it dry naturally.

2.Daily cleaning

If you often drink tea with Jianzhan, then daily cleaning is necessary. After drinking tea every day, rinse it with boiling water to remove the tea stain attached to the glaze, and then place the Jianzhan naturally and ventilate to dry. Every other week, deeply cleaning it with a cleaning cloth or toothpaste, it can effectively reducing the accumulation of tea stains.

3.How to clean the tea stain

If you have not cleaned the tea cup for a long time, the cup’s inner liner will inevitably accumulate tea stains. The main component of the tea stain is polyphenolic polymer. Rinse the teacup briefly with water first, then squeeze a small amount of toothpaste on the teacup, apply the toothpaste evenly on the surface of the teacup with your hand or a cotton swab, and wait for a few minutes for the toothpaste to work. You can use a toothbrush to clean the inner liner of the teacup carefully, just like you brush your teeth, and rinse with clean water at the end. Cleaning with toothpaste has many benefits. It’s easy to operate and won’t damage the tea set or hurt your hands.

4.What are the dangers of not cleaning the teacup deeply for a long time?

1) It will produce tea stains

Tea stain is a polymer produced by tea polyphenols under the action of air oxidation. It is dark yellow and adheres to the inner liner of the teacup. The longer it accumulates, the harder it is to remove. The tea stain can absorb water and make the inner liner of the teacup wet for a longer time, so the teacup with a lot of tea stains is more likely to breed bacteria. Of course, boiling water for tea can easily kill the bacteria, but it is not suitable to drink tea with an unclean teacup for a long time.

2) It will erode the teacup

For oil spot Tenmoku cup with a low degree of vitrification, keeping the teacup dry can reduce the occurrence of oxidation reactions and keep the teacup as original as possible. We know that the iron content of the Jianzhan cup is high, and the quartz layer on the oil spot cup’s surface is thin. Therefore, the cup exposed to the air will chemically react with the oxygen in the air to form ferric oxide, That is rust, so the oil spot cup that has been used for a long time will give people a feeling of “rust.” Therefore, it is very important to keep the cup clean and dry.

5.Tips for maintaining the Tenmoku cup

1) After drinking the tea, pour out the remaining tea in time and wash it to reduce the accumulation of tea stain
2) Regular deep cleaning will keep your teacup in good condition
3) Do not wipe the inner liner of the teacup with very rough stuff to prevent the quartz layer from being damaged
4) Do not use strong corrosive chemicals to clean the cup
5) Alternate use of multiple teacups can prolong the service life of Jianzhan