Store Your Fine China With Care

Whether it was a wedding gift or an heirloom, fine china or glassware holds special meaning and memories in most families.

Used for holidays and special occasions, it spends most of the year on a top shelf in the kitchen or carefully stacked in a dining room cabinet.

To make sure your set makes it from holiday to holiday intact, wash and dry each piece by hand.

Although a dishwasher is faster, the detergent and high-pressure spray can scratch and dull.

Never refrigerate leftovers in fine china. Jostling and vast fluctuations in temperature can lead to cracks and chips.

For the same reason, never microwave fine china, especially if it has gold or decoration, and avoid storing in an attic that gets extremely hot in summer and cold in winter.

When you stack plates, platters and bowls, cushion them with paper towels or cloth liners.

Never stack any type of glassware. The potential for breakage is too great.