Soak the ceramics in Salon Care Professional 40 Volume Creme Developer purchased at Sally Beauty Supply. Don't be impatient. In some cases I leave the piece soak for two or more weeks. As it soaks you may see bubbles rising to the surface of the liquid after a few days. After soaking, rinse the piece, dry it and place it in a cold oven and set the thermostat to warm and bring it to temp. Turn off the oven and let it cool down. When you remove the piece from the oven, grease that had soaked into the surface will have been drawn to the surface Rinse the piece in warm soapy water You should see improvement. This sounds harsh but I have had great success. An alternative to using the oven is to place the piece in the sun for several hours after the soak. This technique will also draw the grease from the glaze.
If there is any evidence that the piece had previously had professional repairs I would not use this technique as it may raise the paint on the repair.
I have used this technique on early blue and white, later romantic pieces and ironstone.
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