How do you clean raku pottery?

Answer 1

Routine cleaning in the household: Raku pottery is very porous and can be quite fragile, so clean it very carefully. I have washed pieces of raku by using a washcloth and detergent but not soaking the piece. Once you have cleaned it, you can apply a coat of paste wax which will keep dust from collecting and make it easier to dust. If it is very dirty, you can soak it in dishwater but let it dry in the sun because it will soak up water.

Cleaning right after firing: As mentioned above, some pieces can be fragile. However, in my experience, we usually take them out after the second firing and the burn, and then complete the cooling process with the garden hose. If you do raku, you are likely familiar with the way you change the temperatures drastically. After the pieces are plenty cool enough to handle, we run them under water in the sink. While we are doing this, we use a stiff toothbrush to knock off all of the black charring. Regular glazes should be plenty tough enough to handle it. Some gator or crackle glazes may require a bit more care. If you had any pots collapse while you were throwing them, go ahead and glaze them in swatches and fire them. That will give you something to test your methods out on. If there is a glaze that can't handle being scrubbed, it is better to find out that way.