How should I clean and care for Wedgwood Black Basalt?

Wedgwood Black Basalt should be cleaned with care, particularly when the object is antique, painted, repaired or fitted with fragile applied decoration. A Georgian piece may be more than 200 years old, so preservation matters more than making the surface look newly manufactured. Start with dry dusting using a clean, soft brush or cloth. If further cleaning is needed, use a small amount of mild soap with lukewarm water and avoid soaking an old object for long periods. Handles, finials, spouts, applied reliefs and repaired joins deserve extra care and abrasive cleaners can alter the surface.

Black Basalt may contain matt, polished or burnished areas, and harsh scrubbing can change the way those areas reflect light. Metal polish is unsuitable for ceramic Black Basalt, despite the bronze-like appearance of some pieces. Painted encaustic decoration needs greater caution. Eighteenth-century examples can have worn painted details, so rubbing the decorated surface may remove material that has survived for more than two centuries. Check an antique object for cracks or restoration before introducing water. Old repairs may react badly to washing. For storage, avoid stacking heavy pieces against one another. Support lids separately when moving valuable teapots and covered vases. Careful handling helps protect vulnerable rims, handles and projecting decoration on historic Black Basalt.