Care and Storage of China and Stemware

by Sherry Holetzky | More from this Blogger

05 Jun 2007 10:10 AM

This time of year, you may not get as much use out of your good China or favorite stemware. My good dishes have now been relegated to a high, out of the way cabinet. I still use "real" plates and have the everyday dishes handy, but I know that during the warmer months, my use of the good dishes and stemware will be few and far between. Here are some tips to care for and store your China and stemware.

Clean them before you put them away. Dust is more difficult to remove from delicate China after it's been sitting a long time and it may eventually make your dishes look dingy.

Take care when cleaning. Never wash delicate pieces or those with gold trim in the dishwasher. Set just a few pieces into a dish pan lined with a towel and don't add other types of items. Use warm rather than hot water and avoid dish soap that contains citrus. Rinse and set on a soft towel to dry.

If you don't use a dishpan, use a rubber mat or pick up a piece of craft foam to lay inside the sink to protect your pieces from scratching or breaking.

When you store your fine pieces, don't stack China coffee cups as they may scratch each other. If you must, be sure to place paper towels or other soft padding between them. It's a good idea to do the same with your plates, bowls, and serving pieces.

To wash stemware, follow the tips above, but also lay stemware down on something soft instead of standing pieces up in the sink where they can fall or be knocked down. Gently dry by hand and put away quickly to avoid accidents.

To fit more pieces into a cabinet or storage area, consider adding a wineglass rack. Alternatively, line the cabinet with rubberized or vinyl shelf liner or other soft material and set glasses in a row, alternating one up, one down, to use less space.

Learn more about Sherry Holetzky

Sherry Holetzky is a work at home mom and freelance writer. Married to her best friend, Sherry and her husband are raising their family in a quiet rural setting in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.

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