Help With Cleaning Please...

I've just purchased my first vases and swan today and want to clean them without damaging them. Does anyone have any sure fire ways to safely clean the pieces? All 4 pieces are white. Thanks in advance...

well done on the swan . what is wrong with them I mean are they dirty inside stain or just dusty?

Just seems to be some discolouring on the insides which I assume is from actually being used as vases. The outsides are from time not dusting but it's feels like a thin layer of gunge beneath the dust...I have a toothbrush at hand that I'm keen to get busy with but I'm not sure with what.

Glaze is actually a thin layer of glass. I find Jif gets rid of most gunge and marks.
Discolouration on the inside I just leave, as it's a sign that the piece was well used.

Thanks Ev, I was thinking of Jiff, just wasn't sure it would scratch the pieces...right, off to clean one of them and see how it goes...

Thank you...

I also find that cleaning liquid you can get for ceramic hobs is a great way to get stubborn marks off.

But if the stain has gone through the glaze (in the crazing) it may be very hard to remove.

test an area that is not in sight before you dive in to it just to be sure

Val Monk has a good section on cleaning and storing ceramics too: she recommends Napisan-type soakers, then Janola-type bleaches, then Jif as the last resort.

Good luck, Tony

Thanks everyone. I didn't quite get to cleaning them last night so will spend today working on them. Crazy how excited I still am this morning. Crazy, or sad. Not sure which yet...

I give dirty spots a rub with baking soda applied with damp cloth, brings up most pottery nicely but don't be too vigorous on delicate items. Baking soda also takes the black knife marks off temuka stoneware.