Herend Care Guide

Herend porcelain is shaped, painted and gilded by hand, and many patterns are finished with real gold, fired onto the glaze in a separate, lower-temperature firing. Herend's website gives no home-care instructions, so this guide sets out the gentle routine we recommend for hand-painted, gold-decorated porcelain. Treated this way, a Herend service can be used for generations.

Everyday cleaning

• Wash by hand in warm, not hot, water with a little mild liquid dish soap.
• Use a soft sponge or cloth. Leave out scouring pads, abrasive powders and lemon-scented cleaners.
• Lay a towel in the bottom of the sink and wash a few pieces at a time, then rinse and dry with a soft, lint-free towel.
• Rinse food away soon after the meal rather than leaving it on painted surfaces overnight.

Dishwasher

We recommend keeping Herend out of the dishwasher. The painting and gold sit in an outer layer fired at a lower temperature than the glaze beneath it, and hot water, strong detergent and rattling racks wear that layer down over time. Gold lines show it first.

Microwave and oven

• Never put a piece with gold or platinum decoration in the microwave.
• We suggest keeping all hand-painted pieces out of the microwave and oven, and avoiding sudden temperature changes, such as plunging a cold piece into hot water.

Figurines and decorative pieces

• Dust with a soft, dry brush or cloth; a soft brush reaches into open-work and fishnet patterns.
• If a piece needs more than dusting, wipe it with a cloth barely dampened with plain water and dry it right away.
• Lift figurines by the body, never by ears, tails, petals or other fine parts.

Storage

• Keep plates in low stacks with felt or paper between them, so the base of one plate cannot scratch the painting below.
• Stand cups side by side rather than nesting them, and don't hang them by their handles.

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Questions about caring for a piece? Email info@paristableware.com or call (201) 652-4233.