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Useful cleaning & care tips

You have opted for high-quality dinnerware by Rosenthal, sophisticated glassware by Versace or silver-plated stainless steel cutlery by Sambonet. Great choice. But it’s also important to know how best to take care of these quality products. Find out everything you need to know about how to take good care of these design pieces.

Cleaning & care tips: Porcelain

Damage most commonly occurs when loading and unloading the dishwasher, so you should stack your dishes carefully, to prevent items banging together. When cleaning your decorated porcelain, make sure you also pay attention to the label with the cleaning and care symbol, which you can also find on our online shop and price lists.

Cleaning & care symbols for porcelain


Dishwasher safe

White porcelain without any décor is generally dishwasher safe. With dishwasher safe décor the colours are melted into the glaze at 1000 degrees C. Here the glaze softens and the décor sinks into it, thus making colour and luminosity indestructible. It is scratch- and wear-resistant. However, gold decors are not totally scratch resistant by virtue of their natural material properties. This décor was tested by the Rosenthal GmbH Institute for material technology (IWT). It is dishwasher safe.


 Dishwasher safe Bone China

The surface of Bone China is, in a technical sense, a type of glass and should be treated accordingly. Please note the following: Should any film or coating appear, this is usually due to starch deposits which are not always properly removed in the dishwasher. Over time, such deposits can accumulate to form a relatively thin, but extremely resistant, layer which is also encouraged, for example, by heavily soiled dishes, hard tap water or wrong dosage of detergent. In general terms, it can be said that deposits on glasses and porcelain glazes can only be avoided by an optimal use of water, water softeners, and a cleansing and rinsing agent. In most cases, these deposits can be removed with a liquid porcelain cleaner, or a ceramic-glass cleaner for ceramic hobs. The glaze will usually remain undamaged. If the film has already formed a very strong bond with the surface, removal can be very difficult, or even impossible in some cases. As regards dishwasher safety for hard porcelain and bone china, the statement: 'the harder and the less porous the material, the higher the dishwasher resistance', is essentially valid.


 Dishwasher suitability

With this décor the colours are burnt onto the glaze at a mini-mum temperature of at least 750 degrees C. The use of robust colours achieves such a strong lesion with the glaze that the dishwasher is most unlikely to do any damage to the décor. Dishwasher tests in the Rosenthal GmbH Institute for material technology (IWT) have proved the excellent durability of the décor. The service can be washed in the dishwasher economy cycle (55 degrees C). Please pay particular attention to the instructions of the dishwasher and detergent manufacturers on the suitability of their products.


 High quality décor

With this décor the appearance of the porcelain or its artistic design are of main concern. The dishwasher safety rules play a deliberately subordinate part here. The use of high quality colours and their subtle application therefore forbid dishwasher cleaning. This décor was tested by the Rosenthal GmbH Institute for material technology (IWT). This porcelain must be washed only by hand.


 Microwave suitability

This porcelain can safely be used in the microwave.

Cleaning & care tips: Glassware

Depending on the nature of the glass and the type of decoration, it may be a good idea to clean your items by hand to preserve the beauty of the glassware. Delicate filigree or long-stemmed glasses can be broken more easily in the dishwasher than with hand washing.

Cleaning & care symbols for glassware


 Dishwasher safe glassware

Never wash glasses in the dishwasher in temperatures exceeding than 60 degree C, always use the protective programme cycle with mild detergents. Place your glasses in the dishwasher in such a way that they do not rub or knock against each other. A slight incline of the glasses ensures that water drains off readily.


 Glassware for cleaning by hand

Concentrated cleaning agents and extreme heat in the dishwasher cause imprints, colours, gold- and platinum decors to fade very quickly. Rinse imprinted glasses only by hand with a mild detergent. For lead crystal and thick glass use only hand-tested, lukewarm water with addition of a mild detergent. Do not place two or more glasses in the bowl as glass against glass contact can cause scratching. For best results dry glasses immediately after removal from water. Avoid holding the stem of a glass when drying the bowl.

Cleaning & care tips: Cutlery

When it comes to taking care of your cutlery, the type of material is a crucial factor in how it should be cleaned and cared for. Our cutlery in stainless steel and silver is generally suitable for cleaning in the dishwasher. However, cutlery may still be exposed to factors outside your control, which is not the case when cleaning by hand. That’s why we recommend hand washing your cutlery. Gold-plated cutlery should always be hand-washed due to the delicate material.

View cleaning & care symbols for cutlery


  Dishwasher suitable stainless steel cutlery & PVD cutlery

Stainless steel cutlery and cutlery with PVD (physical vapour deposition) coating is suitable for the dishwasher but we recommend cleaning by hand! Cleaning cutlery in a dishwasher may impair outward appearance. This does not occur when cared for by hand. Aggressive detergents, leaving soiled cutlery for days in the dishwasher, high temperatures etc. are some of the many causes which may produce marks or even corrosion, especially on knife blades.

Please note therefore the following cleaning instructions: The cutlery can change colour as a result of food residues containing common salt or acid (e.g. mayonnaise, fish stock, vinegar). It is therefore important to clean the cutlery, particularly knives, as soon as possible after use. When cleaning in the dishwasher always place cutlery handle down in cutlery baskets in such a way that items of a type, e.g. spoons, do not slide into each other. As soon as the program has finished, remove cutlery from dishwasher and dry.

Any remaining marks should be removed immediately. Never leave damp cutlery in closed dishwasher. Never mix stainless steel cutlery and silver-plated or silver cutlery in the same cutlery basket.


  Silver cutlery for cleaning by hand

Silver cutlery is suitable for the dishwasher but we recommend cleaning by hand! The shine of the silverware can be most easily preserved by using the cutlery daily. Silver not in use develops brown, blue or black spots or stains all over, it ‘tarnishes’. The reason for this is the particular sensitivity of the surface of the silver to sulphurous gases, which occur in the surrounding air. In the same way, silver tarnishes when in contact with food residue that contains sulphurous substances, such as egg yolk, mustard, onions, legumes, fish and marinades.

The conditions for silver are less favourable in dishwashers than when being washed by hand. Food residue, high cleaning temperatures, long cleaning duration and oxidising agent in the cleaner can cause silver to tarnish. Irrespective of whether the silver has been tarnished in the drawer, through use or whilst in the dishwasher, it must be cleaned by hand using a mildly abrasive silver care agent and silver care cloth and/or silver soap and cotton in order to remove the staining. This also ensures that the desired patina of the decorated silver parts remains undamaged.


 Gold plated cutlery for cleaning by hand

Gold plated cutlery is characterised by its precious, gleaming surface. Finest hard gold is gilt onto the cutlery pieces through electrolysis. Clean all items straight after use. Don’t let any food residue or other fluids dry on as they can corrode the gold plating. Remove heavy staining with a soft cloth, a mild cleaning agent and lukewarm water. Then soak the cutlery in warm to hot water containing a mild cleaning agent until the staining has been lifted from the surface. Clean the gaps between the forks thoroughly and rinse off the whole surface of each piece of cutler y from top to bottom using clear water.

Dry each piece of cutlery thoroughly with a soft dish cloth. Cutlery that is simply left to dry often develops water spotting. Store the cutlery in a clean, dry place, preferably in a cutlery box, in order to avoid tarnishing. Buff your cutlery pieces once to twice a year with a polish especially suited to gold cutlery in order to keep the cutlery in peak condition. Alternate the cutlery regularly so that equal wear is maintained for all cutlery pieces.

Cleaning & care tips: Silver plated frames

The Rosenthal range is now enriched by new interior and lifestyle collections, with items that offer so much more than classic table settings, thanks to the sophisticated designer furniture and fine silverware. Depending on the material used for the products, careful care and cleaning is recommended, to prevent unnecessary wear on the high-quality materials.

View cleaning & care tips for silver plated picture frames


Our picture frames are all tarnish-proof, which saves you having to clean them. So please note that you should never clean a tarnish-proof product with silver cleaning agents. Simply dust or clean with a standard soft cloth to keep your frame looking shiny for a long time.

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