Should You Store Glasses Up Or Down In Your Cabinet?

For many of us, our organizational habits were most likely developed from watching our mothers and grandmothers. We looked on as these matriarchs carefully curated kitchens and china cabinets. For many of us, stemmed crystal sparkled under the dimmed light of a breakfront while a collection of coffee mugs were stacked gingerly on top of each other in a shuttered cabinet. However, as you’ve organized your own home, have you ever wondered if what mama did really was the right way? We asked an expert to weigh in on the age-old question: When it comes to storing glassware, should you be team up or down?

Joyce Woehrel is a crystal expert in Atlanta. Woehrel has over 30 years of fine china and crystal buying experience and lends her knowledge to blushing brides and home decor enthusiasts at Fête in Buckhead in Atlanta. According to her, there truly is only one right answer for storing your glassware, “Always up,” she affirms. 

Why You Should Always Store Your Glassware Right Side Up

The reason is as simple as science. “The bottom of a glass is usually heavier, so it presses down on the top, weakening it and making it more prone to chips,” she says. While you might worry about dust or grime getting into the cups, the truth is you are likely using your drinkware so often, that there’s not an opportunity for real harm to be done. 

Other Ways To Store Your Glassware

What are other appropriate ways for storing your glassware? Some organizers suggest a hanging system that relieves valuable cabinet space. Woehrel herself also says not to be afraid of putting any valuable, quality glassware away when not in use. “I hate to say this out loud, but I have so many different patterns that I use regularly. I don't want to have to dust it out and rinse it before I use it,” she explains. Her solution? Glassware storage boxes. “I can store them on top of each other and get a lot of glassware in each one.” Even when stored inside boxes, those glasses are still right side up.

Woehrel says to think of it like this, “When entertaining, a cup should always be right side up and ready to go!” Cheers to that.