After using your Hanko, do you usually wipe the ink with tissue?
If so, it means that you’re already taking the first step of Hanko-care. However, in order to keep your Hanko clean and ensure a long life, you may want to take some further steps. Here we will be explaining to you how to maintain your Hanko and keep your Hanko looking like new.
If you bought your Hanko from this website, you are probably aware that we provide cleaning kits and stamp mats to help you maintain your Hanko. If you look closely your Hanko’s carved face, maybe you will find some dirt trapped in the crevices of the engraving. Actually, the dirt/stain is probably from Vermillion Ink that has hardened. Most of the ingredients of Vermilion Ink are oil; after you use it, the remaining red ink will harden and clog the carving, and subsequent impressions may appear out of focus as if you had rubbed it while the ink was still wet. For best practices for caring for your Hanko, please read on:
CLEANING KIT
Our Cleaning Kits have a brush on the left side and adhesive on the right side to make your cleaning process easier. First, gently rub your Hanko’s face on the brush side to scrape off the dirt. The cleaning kit’s brush is specially made for Hanko and it is softer than a normal brush, but there’s no need to go hard; please keep rubbing your Hanko with moderate force to prevent scratch damage (or worse, chipping!). After that, press your Hanko into the red adhesive on the right side to remove fine dust particles. Basically, the cleaning kit is really easy to use. Using the Cleaning kit to clean your Hanko regularly will keep your Hanko in tip-top shape and always like new.
STAMP MAT
We really recommend using the Stamp Mat not only to ensure a firm, clean impression of your Hanko every time., but also, by using a stamping mat underneath your paper, the load on the stamping surface can be reduced and chipping can be avoided. If you don’t have a stamp mat, make sure to stamp your Hanko with a solid, flat surface under the document, and press flat and evenly, gripping the Hanko close to the carved face.
SOFT CLOTH and OIL
At the very least, don’t forget to clean the surface of your Hanko with a soft cloth after each use. With another cloth, you could polish your Hanko too. Wooden Hanko is not really recommended to be polished, but if your Hanko is made of any other material, you could use a drop of camellia oil or even olive oil to polish your Hanko. For wood Hanko, we recommend wiping the surface clean and dry as soon as possible after you use it, because wood Hanko will easily soak up the vermillion ink.
WHAT NOT TO DO!
Please note that we strongly recommend that you do NOT wash your Hanko directly with water, especially if you have wood Hanko. Your Hanko could soak in the water and it could cause swelling, breaking, and cracking. The only Hanko that is OK to wash with water is our Premium Titanium Hanko. And also, please don’t leave your Hanko in direct sunlight or under an air-conditioner too long. For best results, please keep your Hanko in its case if you are not using it.
Happy stamping!
