Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
talley_sue_nyc

Shouldn't I just get rid of these glasses?

talley_sue_nyc
10 years ago

Getting ready for Thanksgiving, I realized that nearly half of the glasses in the house have chipped rims. (Yeah, I thought they'd be OK in the dishwasher, I guess.)

So I wouldn't put them on the table.

And I thought, "Why am I keeping these?"

I do have the little file for smoothing them out (it works quite well, actually), but I wouldn't want to use the glasses for company. The everyday glasses are getting chipped by this damned machine too, but I'm OK w/ filing them down and using them for everyday.

But the wine glasses? And the crystal beverage glasses?

Really I should just ditch them, right?

I guess I was thinking I didn't want to have to spend $ for new ones--but if I won't use them the opportunity presents itself, then why are they taking up space.

I'm bummed--I really liked them. But....

What do you think?
Help me be tough!

Comments (14)

  • emma
    10 years ago

    I would toss them. I don't want anything I can't set out for company. I don't buy expensive anything except electronics. I noticed my glasses were all etched by the dishwasher. It took years to happen and I got my moneys worth out of them. They are the break resistant, most glasses don't last long enough to see etching. I replaced them all for under $20., probably more like $15.

  • LuAnn_in_PA
    10 years ago

    If they are not useful and/or if they don't bring a smile to your face...
    toss 'em.

  • pammyfay
    10 years ago

    I agree not wanting to set those out for company.

    But here's something to think about: Why would you settle for using things for yourself that are less than what you'd use for company?

    If the wine glasses are in "company" condition, I'd keep them. Maybe they'd spark new reasons to have people over? A cookies and wine party!

    (And don't feel guilty about buying new to replace old! Ikea, baby!)

  • lionors
    10 years ago

    When in doubt, throw it out!

  • grandmamary_ga
    10 years ago

    I agree with lionors, when in doubt throw them out! Don't save anything you would not use yourself.
    mary

  • lov2garden
    10 years ago

    Your glasses should not be getting chipped in the dishwasher to start with. From what I've been reading, chipped glasses mean you need to load them differently in your dishwasher. Besides only putting them in the top rack, make sure glasses aren't able to bump against other things during the cycles. There are so many differences in the way the upper racks are configured and the sizes & shapes of glasses, there is no one right way to load. I've just learned to imagine the glasses bumping around and trying to make sure they are wedged in enough to reduce the amount they can move. If everyone is "helping" with the dishes, you might want to inspect the way things are loaded before running the D/W. I always had to rearrange when my kids were home but I sure didn't want to discourage them putting dishes in the DW so I kept my mouth shut ;)

  • talley_sue_nyc
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    My upper racks stinks to high heaven, that's the problem. I've *NEVER* *EVER* had this sort of chipping with any other dishwasher (and I've had 4)--if they don't bump into other dishes, they bump into the rack itself. There really is no section of the rack that fits them smoothly without them wobbling. Or, well, there is--but it's only big enough to hold about 6 glasses.

    I don't think there *is* a way to load the glasses that will hold them securely without bumping into other items or the rack.

    At first I thought the problem was that these glasses are an odd size/shape, but I realized, I've had this problem with many, many shapes.

    And, some of the glassware that chipped has a flared rim, so it ends up touching something else *very* easily.

    This post was edited by talley_sue_nyc on Sun, Jan 26, 14 at 19:02

  • talley_sue_nyc
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Well, here's an update:

    I threw them out. All but one (the only one out of 8 that wasn't chipped!)

    We had to pack up the china cabinet so the building could do some work in the walls, and I said, "Instead of putting these in a box to store them, I'm going to put them in a box and throw them away."

    I put them in a box bcs, since they're drinking glasses, they don't go in the regular glass recycling--and even if they did, they'd break, and our building superintendent would get slashed.

    I wedged them in, taped it well, and labeled it "broken glass." One of them did break on the way to the elevator. And then my husband dropped the box deliberately to smash them further. He had some explanation about wanting them to be in smaller pieces that wouldn't be able to poke their way through the box, but I think it was just that he liked the sound of breaking glass, and could indulge the destructive urge without feeling destructive, LOL! I told him, "have fun!"

    I have a pair of wine glasses we were given that have a chip on one of them. I'm working up the nerve to throw them out.

    And our best crystal has chips on a few as well. I really do need to find some other crystal, and just plan to buy a bunch of it, and ditch all of these.

    And I don't think I'm ever going to put crystal in the DW again.

    But--that's a bunch of space freed up, and I feel really good about it.

    (I put the one unchipped glass into rotation for regular drinking, and I've decided that the outwardly flared rim is really, really annoying, so now I *really* don't feel bad.)

  • concretenprimroses
    9 years ago

    Good for you. I'm terrible about throwing things out but even I throw out chipped glasses.
    Kathy

  • talley_sue_nyc
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Don't ask me why I kept these things. At first, it was because only one was chipped, and it wasn't bad at all. So I'd put that at my place setting.

    It just sort of snowballed.

    Also, tossing them wasn't as easy as putting them in the garbage; i do have to worry about people getting hurt. Glass jars and bottles from packaging are tough enough, they don't really get broken, but these would have hurt someone if I'd just dropped them into the garbage.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm thinking I might replace them with these:

    I like the swirls (the crystal I registered for has similar) and the fact that you can get both a tumbler (though I wish the highball glass were taller, actually) and an iced-tea "goblet."

    They once made ice buckets, and you can get them from ReplacementsInc.

    I have a few sets of 4 or 6, each set in its own style. Those, I'm not sure what to do about.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mikasa's Olympus pattern

  • cold_weather_is_evil
    9 years ago

    Just an odd thought. This wouldn't be practical for most people but in our house things get crazy (only on weekdays and weekends though) and we have a heavily used dishwasher and a housewide porcelain/ceramic floor. Glasses do not last long. Period.

    BUT, we buy them by the case at a restaurant supply. That's 72, 100, 144, or other quantities depending on the brand and style, and they are inexpensive if you understand you are buying for the long term.

    Those boxed sets at the department stores are cheap quality and you can reserve them for company and hand washing. You can shop the manufacturers on line and get the glasses from the supply store. They have many styles that are hardened against chipping as restaurants have dishwasher wear and tear too.

    Bistro mugs too!

  • trekaren
    9 years ago

    I enjoyed this thread. Love that you guys decided to have them exit. LuAnn was spot-on - if they don't make you happy, you don't need them. Enjoy shopping for a set that will make you smile. Perhaps shop for a new dishwasher while you are at it. And I LOVE that you and DH had a little fun breaking them further on the way out. As the kids say, YOLO.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I tossed one of the daily drinking glasses recently; some of them have tiny chips, and one of the worst rotated to the front, so I stuck it inside a donut box (to protect the bldg super from broken glass) and tossed it in the garbage. I'm going to eliminate some of the others as well, if they're still in there.

    I also got to thinking--the glasses that have chipped are either (a) perfectly straight-sided; or (b) flared at the lip.

    So they are more like to tap one another in the dishwasher.

    I was deliberately choosing straight-sided glasses, bcs they fit in the DW better. But I think the next set of glasses I buy, I'm going to look for ones that curve back in slightly at the rim. So the edge is not bumping anything.

Sponsored
Art Masonry Inc.
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars132 Reviews
Loudon County's Hardscape and Landscape Expert in Outdoor Living