Product of the Week: Keeping Dishes and Serveware Safe

The holiday season allows us to show off our best serveware, dishes and family heirlooms. That makes this a good time for some reminders and suggestions on how to keep your china, silver and dishes safe year-round! Check out my tips below on ready-to-use china storage and silver storage products, and some budget-friendly DIY tips. Whether you prefer to store your china out of sight or keep it on display, we’ve got you covered!

China and Priceless Dishes:
In Storage: There are many ready-to-use china storage containers. They are usually a quilted fabric material to that protects from dings, and sometimes include plate separators. Look for sets that give you more for your money, with separate bags for dinner plates, mugs, salad plates, etc. China storage bags also come in larger sizes for large platters and serving bowls. They are a great investment, perfect for storing precious dishes in a closet or cabinet. However, they are NOT designed to keep dishes safe during a move or for shipment – this requires more padding.

DIY tip!: Get a plastic storage box and some bubble wrap, using ample amounts of bubble wrap around the walls of the box and in between plates. If you are storing for a really long time, use packing tape to “tie” a stack of individually wrapped plates together so there is no bouncing and breaking! (Don’t forget to the label the box “Fragile”)

On Display:
If you choose to display your china year-round, you will still need to take a few steps to keep it safe:
1. Separate Each Dish – You can purchase plate separators, or you can simply use a small square of felt, bubble wrap or cloth in between each plate, bowl and cup. To keep your display tidy, cut the separators smaller than the plate so that you don’t see them, this will protect the plate and the display-look.
2. Stacking – Resist the urge to stack dishes high in the cabinet. For mugs and teacups, only two cups per stack, for plates and bowls you can go up to five per stack.

Silver:
Unless you use your finest silver for everyday use, it really should be stored in a safe container. To reduce tarnish on silver, keep it in a specially designed felt or cloth type bag – these come in all shapes and sizes, from bags to rolls to boxes – a great investment!