Kitchen Cabinet Dilemma: Do the Cups Go Face-Up or Face-Down?

The Heated Debate Every Couple Must Tackle

I really appreciate you writing me with your question! I must also confess that I started laughing as I read your letter… if how you arrange cups in the cabinet is all you both have to fight about, then I’d say that you two are probably doing all right in the grand scheme of things! But in all seriousness, your question does raise a more fundamental point that’s worth understanding.

Building a life together means being willing to talk through your individual and mutual concerns, habits, and goals. It’s also about compromise – not just settling for some mediocre middle ground but trying to find a way where you can both end up coming out on top – even in the seemingly smallest of things. Of course, you’re both individuals who bring the influences of how you grew up, your education, and all your past experiences to the table; that’s part of what makes you who you are! But relationship involves flexibility and a willingness to change and adapt so that you can unite and face life better together.

Time to Face the Elephant in the Room – Your Glassware Dilemma

And now that I’ve painted a beautiful word picture about the nature of healthy relationships, let’s return to the problem you’ve shared with me in your letter. It seems that one of you (who shall remain nameless, but who also didn’t pen the letter you wrote to me) is plotting a rebellion against the current cabinet arrangement of glassware. Rebel scum! Shun the thought! I really hope that you can help your rebel boyfriend see the light … because I agree with you about keeping the glassware facing up in the cabinet.

Keeping Drinkware Face-Down for Drainage Isn’t Really the Best Option

You wrote that your rebel boyfriend says that glasses should be stored face-down to allow them to drain after washing. On the surface, this position does seem to make some sense, until you realize that the moisture really has nowhere to go. Consider the fact that any remaining residual moisture won’t dry if air can’t get inside. That dampness can make your shelf musty or even moldy over time.

The Logic of Keeping Your Cups and Glasses Face-Up

If you place your glassware face-down before it’s completely dry, you also run the risk of bacteria forming inside those molecules of water. If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant or other prepared food industry, you know that freshly washed pots and containers must be left in a position where air can circulate for this very reason. Your rebel boyfriend may protest, “But this isn’t a restaurant!”

Granted, we do have to concede that point to him. But even if the proliferation of bacteria is not a primary concern for your personal glassware cabinet, experience has taught me that stagnant air inside of face-down glasses can get stale and even change the flavor of drinks. Who wants their drinks tainted by stagnant, stale air?

The only real argument against keeping glasses face-up is the possibility of dust collecting in them over time. But even with this point, it’s important to delineate between glassware you’re keeping in extended storage, versus glassware that you use on a regular basis. As far as the glasses and cups from which you drink every week are concerned, dust isn’t really much of a concern.

Unless you live by a dusty field and keep your windows and cabinet doors open all the time, your frequently used glasses just won’t ever sit around long enough to get dusty. And for rarely used glassware, you’ll probably want to wash it before you drink out of it anyway, so any potential for collected dust won’t really be a factor there, either.

The Solution to Your Dilemma

In conclusion, I think we’ve established that the best solution for your everyday glassware is to store it face-up in the cabinet. But what if your boyfriend isn’t persuaded by the sheer weight of logic alone? Perhaps there is still a way to make both of you happy. Remember our relationship talk at the beginning of this article? Always look for a healthy, mutually beneficial compromise!

You could oversee arranging the glassware that’s to be regularly used or visibly displayed (face-up!), and he could oversee arranging any glassware that’s only to be brought out for special occasions (face-down!). Just make sure your extended storage glassware is completely dry before you allow your boyfriend to experience the exhilaration of placing it face-down on some tucked-away shelf. Win-win!

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I hope my feedback has been helpful, and I wish you all the best in tackling your glassware storage dilemma together! I invite you to click over and check out our amazing Luxury Bedding and other signature items that are designed to help you Love Coming Home!