How many years can a purple clay teapot last？

How many years can a purple clay teapot last? Does purple clay teapot have a lifespan? The use of purple clay teapots is not limited by the number of years, as long as they are not broken. If well maintained, they can be used continuously.

What will affect the lifespan of purple clay teapots?

1. Falling down

Purple clay teapots are particularly afraid of falling. For ceramic products, once they are broken, they cannot be restored to their original appearance – even if the broken purple clay teapot is repaired using methods such as porcelain or gold inlay, only the beauty of the broken part remains. So how to prevent falls?
When pouring tea, press the other finger on the pot button or lid, and do not move too much. During the process of pouring tea, the teapot is always in hand, and many times the lid falls off while pouring tea. Never imitate the small tricks played by teapot sellers, such as not being able to cover up or flipping the lid upside down. These are all deceitful tricks. Don’t accidentally ruin your love pot, it’s not worth the loss.
Place it as high as possible or in a cabinet, out of reach of children, and never let someone with rough hands or feet touch the pot.

2. Oil
People who like to play with Yixing teapots know that after long-term use, the surface of purple clay teapots will have a subtle and introverted luster, commonly known as “patina”. But it should be understood that the “patina” of purple clay teapots is very different from what we usually understand as “greasy”. Moreover, purple clay pots with strong adsorption properties are also very afraid of oil fumes, so it is even more important not to apply various oils and fats to the surface of purple clay pots in order to make them look more shiny.

The luster of purple clay teapots is nurtured rather than wiped out. Once the purple clay pot is contaminated with oil, it is easy to emit a “thief light” and grow pots with flower spots. The inside and outside of the pot should not be contaminated with grease.
Every time there is a tea activity, it is necessary to clean your hands and handle the tea, firstly to prevent the tea from being contaminated by odors; Secondly, teapots can be well maintained. It is very necessary to rub and play with the teapot with clean hands during the process of drinking tea.

One more thing: in most households, the kitchen is the place with the highest oil fumes; So, to make the purple clay teapot more nourishing and moist, it is crucial to keep it away from the kitchen

3. Odor

As mentioned above, the adsorption capacity of purple clay teapots is very strong; In addition to being easy to absorb oil, purple clay teapots are also easy to absorb odors. Strong flavor absorption function, which is originally a good thing for brewing tea and keeping pots; But if it is a mixed or unusual odor, it must be avoided. So, purple clay teapots must be kept away from places with strong odors such as kitchens and bathrooms.

4. Detergent

We strongly recommend that you do not use chemical cleaning agents to clean, and never use dishwashing detergent or chemical cleaning agents to scrub the purple clay teapot. Not only will it wash away the absorbed tea flavor inside the teapot, but it may also brush off the luster on the surface of the teapot, so it should be absolutely avoided.
If cleaning is necessary, it is recommended to use baking soda for cleaning.

5. Polishing cloth or steel wire ball

When purple clay pots have stains, do not use polishing cloths or steel wire balls containing diamond sand to clean them. Although these things can clean quickly, they can easily damage the surface structure of the teapot, leaving scratches that affect its appearance.
The best tools are coarse and hard cotton cloth and nylon brush, even with these tools, brute force should not be used. Some exquisite purple clay teapots have complex body shapes, and the patterns are difficult to handle when cleaning. You can choose a toothed wave toothbrush for treatment.

6. Large temperature difference

Usually, when brewing tea, water at 80 to 100 degrees Celsius is mainly used; In addition, the firing temperature for general purple clay teapots is between 1050 and 1200 degrees. But there is one thing that needs special attention. If there is a large temperature difference in a short period of time (sudden cooling and heating), some purple clay pots are prone to bursting (especially thin bodied purple clay pots). So, unused purple clay teapots don’t need to be stored in the refrigerator for freshness, let alone in the microwave for high-temperature disinfection. They just need to be kept at room temperature

7. Exposure to sunlight

When using purple clay teapots, they are mostly in a state of significant changes in temperature, but due to their relatively transparent structure, they generally do not have any impact. But one thing to note is to avoid placing the teapot in direct sunlight as much as possible, otherwise it will have a certain impact on the surface gloss of the teapot. After regular cleaning, the teapot does not need to be dried in the sun, let alone dried. It only needs to be placed in a cool environment and naturally drained.

How to extend the lifespan of purple clay teapots?

1.  Where is a good place to place the purple clay teapot?

Purple clay teapots should never be stored in collection cabinets for a long time, nor should they be placed together with other objects, because purple clay is afraid of “contamination” and is very delicate, easily affected by other odors and adsorbed, resulting in a strange taste when brewing tea. If placed in a place that is too humid or too dry, it is not good for purple clay teapots, which can easily affect their odor and luster. In addition, purple clay teapots are fragile, so if you have children at home, be sure to keep your beloved purple clay teapot in a safe place.

2. One pot only makes one type of tea

Some people, in order to save time, always like to pour out the tea leaves in the pot after soaking Tie Guan Yin, wash them with water, and then brew Pu erh tea. But if you do this, it’s not right! Because the air holes on the purple clay teapot are filled with the scent of Tie Guan Yin, they mix with each other as soon as they meet! For this reason, we generally recommend “one pot, one use”, which means that one purple clay pot can only brew one type of tea. Due to the variety of tea brewed, it is easy to mix flavors, which affects the taste of tea and also has a certain impact on the luster of the purple clay teapot.

3.  The frequency of use should be appropriate

For some old tea drinkers, drinking tea all day can be said to be commonplace; And some friends who haven’t been drinking tea for a long time may not have developed a regular tea drinking habit. If you use a purple clay teapot to brew tea, it is recommended that you maintain a certain frequency of brewing tea and persevere; Because if the frequency of brewing tea is too low, the purple clay teapot is prone to become too dry, while if the frequency of use is too high, the purple clay teapot will remain in a humid environment, and if not handled properly, it is easy to have an odor. So, if you want to keep a teapot, it’s best to maintain a frequency of “soaking it once a day”.

4.  Persist in using hot water

It is recommended not to use cold water from the beginning of firing to brewing, cleaning, and other processes of a purple clay teapot. The reason is that water that has not been boiled is mostly hard and contains many impurities, making it unsuitable for moistening the teapot or brewing tea. Using only hot water instead of cold water to maintain the pot can also keep the pot body at a relatively constant temperature, which is beneficial for brewing tea.

Overall, there is no limit to the number of years a purple clay teapot can be used. A person who loves teapots will definitely protect them and extend their lifespan!