Minimalist Guide to Cleaning White Porcelain

Easier than cleaning white tees and sneakers.

There is a common misconception that white porcelain is a difficult material to care for, but that is further from the truth. White fabrics tend to yellow over time, white marble can stain deeply due to its porous nature, and white leather requires conditioning every few months, but white porcelain requires just a few steps and simple tools.

You might be worried that a larger piece like Lladró’s Unbreakable Spirit Horse Sculpture will be difficult to clean, but that is completely incorrect.

TOOLS:

DO NOT USE HARSH CLEANING CHEMICALS OR SCRATCHY CLEANING TOOLS LIKE SCOURING PADS!

CLEANING:

  1. All you need for most situations is a simple dusting with a soft-bristle brush to clear any detritus. Just be wary when dusting around ornate details like fingers and edges.
  2. If there is a light stain, all you need is a melamine foam sponge. Dampen it with water then softly rub the stained area. Finish off by wiping the area with a soft clean cloth to achieve pristine whiteness.
  3. For stubborn stains, instead of using water with the melamine, use isopropyl alcohol or lightly dilute dish soap.
  4. For pieces with golden lustre finishes, it is best practice to only clean the gold areas with a jewellery polishing cloth.

MOST STAINS ON WHITE PORCELAIN IS ONLY SURFACE LEVEL. THIS IS DUE TO PORCELAIN’S NON-POROUS NATURE AND HIGHLY VITRIFIED SURFACES.

White porcelain removes all distractions so you can focus on the form of the figure. Lladró’s In My Thought Woman Figurine highlights posture, the creases of her dress, and her facial expression.

 

The translucent nature of white porcelain allows craftsman to play with textures and lighting like in Lladró’s African Savannah Lithophane, easily maintained with a rechargeable LED Kit (left).

White porcelain figurines and sculptures remind many of Greek sculptures, which were carved out of white marble and thus susceptible to damage and wear from the elements. White porcelain is fully non-porous and highly vitrified (hardened) and thus has surfaces which are easily cleaned. In comparison with coloured porcelain, white porcelain brings forth more emotion due to focus on the form and the play of shadows of a blank slate. White porcelain pieces are also more flexible in fitting into any decor styles, and can be both classical and modern.

 

Cleaning your white porcelain figurines allows lighting and shadows to dance on the nooks and crannies of the piece, creating contrast and making softer detail more visible such as the delicate curves of the bodies of a dad and his son in Lladró’s I Love You Dad Figurine.

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