How to Care for Handmade Ceramic Mugs (Dishwasher, Microwave & More)

A handmade ceramic mug is built to last for years — often decades — but only if you treat it a little more thoughtfully than a factory mug. The good news: caring for handmade ceramic mugs is simple once you understand what the clay and glaze actually need. This guide covers washing, the dishwasher and microwave question, preventing cracks, and removing stains, so your favourite mug stays beautiful for the long haul.

Can you put handmade ceramic mugs in the dishwasher?

In most cases, yes. High-fired stoneware with a food-safe glaze is durable and dishwasher-safe. But there are two important exceptions:

• Any mug with gold, silver, lustre, or metallic decoration should always be hand-washed — dishwasher detergent and heat will dull or strip it.
• Unglazed or raw-clay areas (a bare foot ring, for example) can absorb water and detergent, so a quick hand-wash is gentler.

When in doubt, hand-washing is always the safest choice. Use warm water, a soft sponge, and mild dish soap — never a metal scourer, which can scratch the glaze.

Are handmade ceramic mugs microwave-safe?

Most well-made stoneware and porcelain mugs are microwave-safe, unless they carry any metallic decoration — metal sparks and can damage both the mug and your microwave. If your mug is plain glazed stoneware, it's almost certainly fine, but check the maker's guidance first.

One thing to watch: if a mug gets surprisingly hot in the microwave while the drink stays cool, that can signal moisture absorbed into the clay body, which points to an unglazed area or a hairline crack. Retire that mug from microwave duty.

Preventing cracks: protect against thermal shock

The most common way handmade mugs fail is thermal shock — a sudden temperature change that makes the clay expand or contract too fast and crack. It's easy to avoid:

• Warm the mug first. Before pouring boiling coffee into a cold mug, add a splash of warm water and swirl it. This also keeps your coffee hotter.
• Never take a mug from the freezer or fridge straight to boiling liquid, or from a hot dishwasher straight into cold water.
• Don't put a handmade mug on a direct heat source — a stovetop, open flame, or oven — unless it's explicitly made for it.

Want the full picture? We go deeper in why ceramic mugs crack and how to prevent it.

Removing coffee and tea stains

Over time, coffee and tea can leave a brown film, especially inside lighter glazes. Skip harsh bleach and try this instead:

• Baking soda: make a paste with a little water, rub gently with a soft cloth, and rinse. This lifts most staining without scratching.
• White vinegar soak: for stubborn marks, fill the mug with a warm 1:1 water-and-vinegar solution, leave 15–30 minutes, then wash as normal.

Both are gentle enough for regular use and won't harm a food-safe glaze.

What about crazing — those fine surface lines?

If you notice a delicate web of hairline lines in the glaze, that's crazing — tiny cracks in the glaze layer, not the clay body. On many glazes it's an intentional, prized aesthetic. It's generally harmless on high-fired stoneware, though if a mug is heavily crazed and used daily, hand-washing keeps it looking its best for longer.

Storing your mugs

Handmade mugs often have slightly varied dimensions, so resist the urge to jam them tightly together or stack them heavily — knocking rims and handles is the fastest way to a chip. Give them a little breathing room on the shelf, or hang them from mug hooks by the handle.

A simple daily-care summary

• Hand-wash anything with metallic decoration; most plain stoneware is dishwasher-safe.
• Warm the mug before pouring boiling liquid to avoid thermal shock.
• Use a soft sponge — never metal scourers.
• Lift stains with baking soda or a vinegar soak, not bleach.
• Store with a little space so rims and handles don't knock.

Made to be used every day

Our mugs are high-fired to be genuinely hard-wearing, with smooth food-safe glazes made for real daily life. Explore the full Kiln & Sip collection and find a mug that's built to be part of your routine for years to come.