Carpet Square Clean Up: A Super Simple Hack for Cleaning Glaze off the Feet of Pots Marloo Ceramics

Wiping glaze off the feet of dipped pots is one of those glazing-day chores that eats up more time than it should, especially when you're working through a full kiln load. In this post, Marloo Ceramics shares a clever, low-cost studio hack that makes the job quick and consistent: a shallow plastic tray lined with a damp scrap of carpet. A simple press and twist leaves a crisp, clean foot every time, and cleanup is as easy as rinsing out the carpet! Love it! –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

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Cleaning glaze from the bottoms of pots can be time consuming, so I came up with a simple studio hack exactly for this purpose. All it takes to clean the bottoms of my pots is a shallow plastic tray lined with a scrap piece of ordinary carpet. 

I keep the carpet wet and, after glazing, gently press the pot onto the surface and give it a slight twist (1). The damp carpet removes the glaze from the foot quickly and evenly, leaving a clean, glaze-free base ready for firing (2). The carpet fibers absorb excess glaze while creating a crisp, consistent line around the bottom of the piece. 

The plastic tray keeps the process contained, catching excess water and glaze residue, and helping to keep my workspace clean. As I work, glaze gradually builds up in the carpet. When it becomes saturated, I simply remove the carpet, rinse it thoroughly under running water (3), place it back in the tray, and continue working. 

The entire setup costs very little, uses materials that many potters already have on hand, and makes cleaning glazed bottoms much faster than using a sponge on each piece individually. It’s a simple solution that has become a permanent part of my glazing routine. 

For more tips or to see work from Marloo Ceramics, follow them on Instagram @marlooceramics.