How to Care for Ceramic Tableware: Washing, Stacking and Storing Your Sicilia Pieces

Quick answer

Wash ceramic plates by hand in warm water with a mild dish soap, using a soft sponge and no abrasive scrubber. Dry them fully before stacking, then stack no more than six plates with a felt pad or napkin between each. Store heavier pieces at the bottom and keep the stack away from cabinet doors that slam.

Ceramic tableware is forgiving, but it is not indestructible. Most damage happens quietly: a scratched glaze from a scouring pad, a hairline crack from a plate dropped onto a hard stack, or a chip from a bowl knocked against a shelf edge. A short, consistent routine prevents nearly all of it.

The Sicilia collection from Maison Sarah Lavoine is made with JARS, a family ceramics manufacturer holding the Entreprise française du Patrimoine Vivant label. That partnership matters for care: the pieces are designed to be used daily, so the goal is not to baby them but to handle them in a way that preserves the glaze and the warm, sun-inspired finish over years of meals.

Start with the right washing setup

Fill a basin or the sink with warm, not hot, water and a small amount of mild dish soap. Hot water combined with sudden temperature changes is the most common cause of crazing, the fine web of cracks in a glaze. Let plates soak for two or three minutes to loosen food, then wipe with a soft sponge or a dishcloth.

Keep a separate container for cutlery so forks and knives do not knock against plates while you wash. If you use a dishwasher, check the manufacturer guidance first and choose a gentle cycle with a low-temperature dry. The Sicilia pieces are stoneware, so they tolerate everyday use, but hand washing remains the safest way to protect the glaze and any hand-finished details.

• Use a soft sponge, never steel wool or a scouring pad.
• Skip lemon-scented or acidic cleaners on glazed surfaces.
• Rinse in warm water, then move straight to drying.

Dry fully before anything touches the stack

Moisture trapped between plates is the quiet cause of musty smells and water marks. After rinsing, stand plates on edge in a drying rack so air reaches both faces, or dry each one with a clean lint-free towel. Pay attention to the foot ring underneath, where water pools and where a damp stack can leave a ring mark on the plate below.

This step takes an extra minute and saves you from re-washing a whole stack later. If you are drying a large load, work in small batches so plates do not sit wet in the rack while you finish the rest.

• Dry the foot ring, not just the eating surface.
• Never stack a plate that still feels cool or damp.
• Let deep bowls air-dry upside down on a rack.

Stack plates with a protective layer between them

Stacking plates safely comes down to friction and weight. Put a felt pad, a paper napkin or a thin cotton cloth between each plate so the glazed surfaces never grind against one another. Keep everyday stacks to about six plates; heavier stoneware stacks put pressure on the bottom piece and increase the chance of a chip if the pile shifts.

Store the largest and heaviest plates at the bottom and the smallest at the top. If you have a tall cabinet, keep the stack at a height where you can lift plates straight up rather than sliding them out sideways, which is how rims get nicked.

• One protective layer per plate, not one per stack.
• Six plates maximum for daily storage.
• Heaviest at the bottom, lightest on top.

Handle bowls, mugs and serving pieces differently

Bowls and mugs take more knocks than flat plates because of their shape. Store bowls nested only two or three deep, with a cloth between them, and avoid wedging a small bowl inside a larger one where it can jam. Mugs are best kept on a shelf with a little space between handles so you can lift one without dragging its neighbors.

Serving pieces such as a saladier or a plat get used less often, so give them a shelf where they are not buried under daily dishes. If you stack them, place the heaviest at the bottom and check that no rim rests directly on another rim.

• Nest bowls no more than three deep.
• Leave handle space between mugs.
• Keep occasional serving pieces out of the daily stack.

Know what to do when a chip or crack appears

A small chip on the rim or foot ring is a handling issue, not a reason to throw the piece away, but it does change how you use it. Retire chipped plates from the table and use them for prep, pet bowls or under plant pots. A crack that runs through the body is different: stop using that piece for food, because it can trap water and bacteria and may fail under heat.

If a piece develops a crack after washing, review your routine. Sudden temperature change, stacking while damp, or a dishwasher cycle with a hot dry setting are the usual suspects. Adjust one variable at a time so you can tell what caused it.

• Retire chipped plates from direct food contact.
• Do not use cracked stoneware in the oven or microwave.
• Change one washing variable at a time to find the cause.

Your five-step Sicilia care routine

1. Wash in warm water with mild soap: Use a soft sponge and keep cutlery in a separate basin so metal does not knock against ceramic. Checkpoint: no abrasive pad has touched the glaze.
2. Rinse and dry each piece fully: Stand plates on edge to air-dry or towel them, paying attention to the foot ring underneath. Checkpoint: the plate feels dry and room temperature before it goes in the cabinet.
3. Add a protective layer between plates: Place a felt pad, napkin or thin cloth between each plate so glazed surfaces never rub together. Checkpoint: no plate touches another plate directly.
4. Stack six or fewer, heaviest at the bottom: Keep daily stacks shallow and lift plates straight up instead of sliding them out sideways. Checkpoint: the stack does not wobble when the cabinet door closes.
5. Review any chip or crack and adjust: Retire chipped pieces from the table and change one washing variable at a time to find what caused a crack. Next step: if cracks keep appearing, switch to hand washing with a low-temperature dry.

Sicilia pieces and how they fit this routine

• Assiette creuse Sicilia - Ecru: Part of the Sicilia collection, inspired by Sarah Poniatowski's travels in Sicily and made with JARS, a family ceramics manufacturer labelled Entreprise française du Patrimoine Vivant. A deep plate holds more liquid and food residue than a flat one, so rinse it before it dries and dry the foot ring fully before stacking.
• Coffret 24 couverts: The set includes 6 forks, 6 knives and other pieces with a silver-toned finish and natural maple wood handles. Wood handles should not soak, so wash this cutlery separately from ceramic plates and dry the handles immediately.

Ceramic tableware care is mostly about small habits: warm water, a soft sponge, a full dry and a protective layer in the stack. Do those four things and your Sicilia pieces will keep their glaze and their color through years of everyday meals.