For many of us our China dinnerware only gets used once or twice a year. We pull it out for those special occasions such as Christmas and Thanksgiving and that’s about it. In the in between time we store it. Today I’d like to give you a few tips on how to store that special China dinnerware. I want to show you how to avoid getting chips or damaging the designs that may be on the dinnerware.
The first step before storing your China dinnerware is to make sure that it is washed and dried thoroughly. Make sure that all of the moisture is off of your items. There would be nothing sadder than going to get your beautiful dinnerware and finding mold growing. The dinnerware that you want to keep an eye out on most is your cups and teapots. These can hide moisture very easily. After hand drying these items you might want to let them air dry for a bit to make sure that all moisture is gone.
The second step in storing your China dinnerware is to purchase some China protectors. You can find these online or look for them where your fine China was purchased. If you cannot afford these protectors there is an inexpensive alternative that you can use. You can either purchase plastic wrap or bubble wrap. Both of these items can be purchased at dollar stores. If you purchase plastic wrap make sure it is a good quality of wrap though. You won’t have to use as much of this as you would of the cheaper brand. Once you have your wrap you can begin wrapping each individual item until you feel comfortable with its protection. Again make sure that there is no moisture before wrapping your item.
The third step in storing your China dinnerware is to take a paper plate and place it between your China plates. This will protect your plates from banging against each other. This will help insure that you do not get chips in your China plates. It will also help out with protecting the designs that are on the dinnerware. When it comes time to store and wrap your bowls and cups you can follow a similar procedure. On the bowls you can purchase inexpensive paper bowls that are the size of your China bowls. If you cannot find these bowls then you can cut a circular piece of cardboard and place it in the bottom of the bowl. This will raise it up so that it doesn’t bang against the other bowls. When you go to stack your cups make sure that you place enough wrap inside of the surface of the cup so that the next cup does not scratch it. This will also protect the outside of the inserted cup.
The last item that you might be storing is your teapot. Before storing your teapot you should place a piece of cardboard around your spout. You should also place some bubble wrap or plastic wrap down inside of your pot before wrapping. When you go to wrap your teapot you might want to wrap it several times. The reason for this is to make sure that it doesn’t get bumped around with the other dinnerware. This will prevent scratches from getting on your teapot. It will also protect the design that is on it.
When you are ready to store all of your wrapped up China you should store it in a low cupboard. The reason for this is so that in case if there is ever an earthquake the chance of it getting broken is smaller than if you had it in a higher place. You might also be able to store it in an out of the way cupboard so that you won’t have to worry about it until the next holiday. If you store it and wrap it carefully you can be worry free for the next several months. I know that this can be a lot of work when it comes to wrapping your China but if you hold on to all of the wrappings you will only have to purchase them once in a while. I hope that this article has given you some good ideas on how to wrap and store your China dinnerware. May you have many wonderful holidays in the future.
