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This is my first unglazed chawan. The bottom is naturally glazed, but the walls are rough and porous and after a session, my matcha absorbs into and dries onto the unglazed walls, painting them dry green. Dragging a finger over it doesn't reach it. It smells a bit "matcha-fishy".

Of course, I don't want to ruin the clay, so what is the proper way to clean/maintain it? Or maybe I shouldn't? Maybe the point is for the matcha to stay in the walls? I just want to ensure I treat it as intended.

This is my chawan:


See how the matcha has dried into the walls from the prior sessions.

Thankful for any advice!

Might just be that this glaze is not suitable for matcha... Usually when glaze is mat, it is a bit "open-pored", so stuff will creep in and stain it. I usually avoid these mat glazes, especially for the inside. Otherwise, hard to give advice without knowing what type of glaze, clay, firing grade it is.

For a minimal care I'd use a hot water and a (tooth)brush to dislodge the particles that could affect taste of your tea, rinse and wipe with a towel. For a deeper care you can mix baking soda with a bit of water to make thin paste and use with a (tooth)brush. For an even deeper cleaning, submerge in hot water, add teaspoon of sodium percarbonate and let it bubble for an hour, then clean with (tooth)brush, and do several rinses with hot water.

There is a whole section on various cleaning methods here: viewforum.php?f=77

I have a couple of Ibushi plates, one I scrubbed with the rough side of a sponge and very hot water that smoothed the surface slightly, the other I only use hot water and soft brush to clean and remains rough to the touch. If you enjoy the rough texture, I’d just recommend a soft brush with hot water. They are extremely durable and I don’t treat them preciously.

Along with what the other people said, is air drying it and making sure there is no hidden moisture in the pores.

I hope this helps
Belles