Mayfair Pink Depression Glass Sherbet with Water Spotting
Isn’t this sherbet icky? And it’s a shame because this is Hocking’s Mayfair pink depression glass, one of the nicer patterns. I bought this at an estate auction where it was wet and you could not see the haziness. It just looked dirty! Anytime you buy glass be careful to check for haze and excessive wear and don’t be shy about cleaning the glass a little to see the surface under the grime.
So, how can you avoid doing this to your treasure? Here are a few tips:
- Wash your vintage glass by hand. You can get away with using the dishwasher once in a while on some of the more recent glassware – if your water is not hard and if you dry it completely to avoid water spotting. Our water here is excellent, but I once bought a whole set of Canterbury goblets from a local sale that turned out to be hazy. The dishwasher is risky because of the heat and the water drops and it will ruin gold trim in a hurry.
- Stack plates with paper plates or cardboard between each one. This is a good idea too if you have beautifully decorated china plates.
- Store stemware, tumblers and cups right side up. You will avoid a lot of nicks.
- If you stack bowls, put plates or pieces of foam, or even a couple paper towels between each one.
- Thoroughly dry glass before storing.
- Don’t let water stand in vases. I got a gorgeous Rose Point vase that had the bottom inch all hazy and with water lines.
- You want to use your glass, but be careful with what you put on it. If someone has to use a knife to cut meat they will scratch your glass plate too. If you do decide to use your glass frequently then you may want to keep out a few plates for hard use.
- Don’t put your glass where something can fall down on it and (my favorite) don’t let the cat on the table to test gravity with your favorite stemware!