I’ll be honest, before I applied for a job at Noritake, I never knew the brand and tableware was not something that was high up on my shopping list. I can justify this by saying I did not have a place of my own at that time. Spending more than $100 on china was something which wouldn’t have crossed my mind especially because if you go to a certain Swedish homeware department, you’ll find plates sold under $5. They look cute and modern; so why spend so much on a piece of plate?
But my attitude has changed since then and all thanks to beautiful products I’m surrounded with. My partner has told me once, “You know, I never figured why girls spend so much on a handbag. I mean the Gucci bag you love costs at least a thousand. But then, I thought about how long it lasts. Even if you buy a handbag that’s $3000, if you use it for 3 years, that’s about $3 per day and the longer you use it, you get more value worth the investment.” I love how the guy thinks.
Quality china like quality handbag is something that lasts for a long time. And like Gucci, Chanel or Louis Vuitton leather handbag, you want to make sure it lasts for a long time. As soon as you get your hands on a set of quality china, I believe your attitude on how to handle and store it also changes.
Quality china normally costs more because it uses strongest ingredients and is fired at the highest temperature to be strong and chip resistant. Of course, the decorations on them would also add to the cost. So quality fine china these days is suitable for everyday use and also dishwasher safe. But being super strong doesn’t mean they are unbreakable. Like any china, it will break if abused.
So how should you look after your fine china set? The advice I give to any of my customers is to be extra careful when using a dishwasher. If your dinner set doesn’t have any patterns or gold/platinum band, you can use normal dishwashing detergent and setting. However, if your dinner set has delicate decorations or patterns, you should avoid using powder detergent and tablets. These are very strong detergents and powderly particles tend to harm the surface of china; as a result, I had customers come up to me telling me how the patterns on their plates started fading after use. Instead of poweder/tablets, use liquid-base detergents! Finish has liquid detergent for dishwashers and also Morning Fresh Dishwasher Gel is also suitable. Also avoid overloading your dishwasher since this will cause your dishes to collide with each other during washing. I hate washing dishes myself and tend to put as much as I can in the dishwasher but this is a no-no when dealing with fine china.
If your dinner set has gold or platinum band, to keep it nice and shiny, make sure your china is completely rinsed and dry well. Some detergents use harsh chemicals and if you don’t rinse well, it may cause pitting on the gold or platinum trim. And every now and then, you might want to gently polish the band with a soft jeweler’s polishing cloth. It’s just like polishing your leather handbags.
If you want to know more about how to properly look after your fine china, have a read through our Care & Handling Guidehttp://www.noritake.com.au/care-handling-guide.
Post by Yoko Gomi