Glassware storage tips

Storing glassware, chinaware, or stemware can be nerve wracking. They are delicate items that can break easily, they often are expensive, and oftentimes it’s the older stuff that is being stored, which may have been passed down to you or have sentimental value. You want to be sure to take all reasonable steps to ensure your glassware is safe in storage. 

In this post, we’ll go over some tips to help you store your glassware.

Storage for chinaware: Make sure the glassware is clean before storing

This is a pretty obvious step, but it’s worth mentioning that you should only store clean items. Anything on your dishes when they are stored may rub against them, harming the item. That includes things like dust or sand.

How to store fine china: Wrap your items before boxing them up

A second step to make sure your chinaware stays safe during storage is to wrap each item individually. You could use bubble wrap, packing paper, newspaper, or paper towels. This step will help the items to not clink against each other when stored, which is especially important if you are going to be stacking them.

Fine china storage: Storage boxes for glassware

When storing glassware in boxes, the first thing to consider is what type of box to use. If you have the box that an item came with, that may be the best option. However, some dishes come in terrible packaging that reveals the item, while others don’t even come with boxes. Most people that don’t have the original packaging (or it wasn’t good packaging) will use either plastic storage boxes or cardboard boxes.

China and Stemware storage: How to store glassware in boxes

When using either, you will want to place a layer of packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or crumpled newspaper at the bottom of the box. This will help to protect the glassware from breaking if it is dropped. Then, place the glassware in the box, use box dividers if possible, and fill in any empty spaces with more packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or crumpled newspaper.

Make sure that you do not overload the box, as this could also cause the glassware to break. If you are storing delicate stemware, place it in individual boxes or wrapping it in bubble wrap.

Take multiple trips

Once your glassware is packed and ready for storage, it’s time to actually move it. This is the part where the most damage can happen. Besides just being super careful, one great tip is to take multiple trips both when carrying items to the vehicle your are using to transport them, and again when you are moving them to the storage unit. People often will try to carry too much, which may result in dropped boxes or in the boxes banging around, which can severely damage the china.

Don’t stack boxes

Another tip when actually storing the glassware is to not stack the boxes, or at least not put super heavy things on top of delicate items. This is particularly tricky with china, stemware, or glassware, as bigger items are often very delicate, while smaller items (think plates, bowls, or cups) may stack together in neater, smaller boxes, that are actually much heavier and more stable than the big boxes.

Ace Self Storage: Storage for glassware

If you have glassware, fine china, stemware or other items you are looking to store, consider using Ace Self Storage in San Diego, California.  We offer great rates, including move-in specials, we have month-to-month contracts with online bill pay, and we provide awesome customer service. Check out our brand new storage facility in Miramar. Enquire about availability by contacting us today!