Care
Looking after it
Most of these objects will outlast the room they are in. The exceptions are almost all caused by the same handful of mistakes, listed below.
The five that cause real damage
- An oak board in the dishwasher. This splits an end-grain board, frequently on the first cycle, and it is not repairable. Hand wash and dry on edge.
- Brass in the dishwasher. Detergent stains unlacquered brass permanently within one cycle. Dry cloth only.
- Acid on stone. Vinegar, citrus, wine and most bathroom cleaners etch marble and travertine. Etching is permanent. Use a pH-neutral cleaner.
- Stoneware in the oven. Nothing in this range is oven safe. Thermal shock cracks the body.
- Wool in the machine. A washing machine or a tumble dryer will felt and shrink lambswool irreversibly. Dry clean, or hand wash cold and dry flat.
By material
Stoneware
How it ages- Dishwasher safe on a standard cycle.
- Microwave safe.
- The unglazed foot ring can scratch a polished table — stack with a cloth between plates.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Dishwasher safe if it fits the rack; otherwise wash by hand.
- Wash by hand; dry the interior thoroughly.
- Dishwasher safe, though the unglazed interior will hold water and needs air-drying afterwards.
- Trim the wick to 5 mm before each burn.
- Let the vessel cool completely before lifting out a spent insert.
- Rinse and dry if used for brushes.
- All pieces dishwasher safe.
- Stoneware is microwave safe; glass is not heat-resistant.
Glass
How it ages- Dishwasher safe on a glass cycle.
- Avoid sudden temperature change — do not pour boiling water into a cold glass.
- Avoid sudden temperature change.
- Hand wash recommended; dishwasher safe on a glass cycle.
- Clean with a bottle brush — the neck is too narrow for a hand.
- Hand wash the bottles; the spouts are not dishwasher safe.
- Replace the cork collars if they swell and stop seating.
Linen
How it ages- Machine wash warm, up to 40°C, with like colours.
- Tumble dry low or line dry. Iron damp on a linen setting if you want them flat.
- Machine wash warm, up to 40°C.
- Tumble dry low or line dry.
- Machine wash warm, up to 60°C.
- Tumble dry low or line dry. Do not use fabric softener — it coats the fibre and reduces absorbency.
- Tumble dry low. No fabric softener.
- Dust with a soft brush.
- Spot clean only.
- Machine wash warm, up to 40°C for napkins and runner, up to 60°C for tea towels.
- No fabric softener.
Brass
How it ages- Wipe with a dry cloth. Remove wax by warming gently, not by scraping.
- Polish with a brass polish only if you want the bright finish back.
- Wipe with a dry cloth.
- Polish only if you want the bright finish back.
Stone
How it ages- Trim the wick to 5 mm before each burn.
- Burn for at least two hours the first time so the pool reaches the edge, or the candle will tunnel.
- Store flat and out of sunlight — tapers bend in warm rooms.
- Rinse and dry after use.
- Reseal annually with a penetrating stone sealer if it starts absorbing water.
- Wipe with a damp cloth and dry.
- Reseal annually with a penetrating stone sealer.
- Textiles machine wash warm up to 60°C.
- Reseal the stone annually.
Oak
How it ages- Wash by hand with warm water and dry immediately on its edge.
- Re-oil when the surface looks dry or pale, roughly every two months in regular use.
- Wash by hand and dry immediately.
- Re-oil roughly every two months in regular use.
- Re-oil when the surface looks dry.
- Wipe the body with a dry cloth. Do not wash.
- Empty and brush the burr if you switch between spices.
Wool
How it ages- Dry clean, or hand wash cold with a wool detergent and dry flat.
- Store clean and sealed over the summer.
Something already gone wrong?
If a piece arrived damaged, email us within seven days with a photograph of the breakage and the outer box — we replace or refund in full and you keep the broken piece.
If a piece was damaged in use, tell us what happened anyway. We cannot always replace it, but the answer is sometimes simpler than it looks — a dry-looking board usually just needs re-oiling.