Tips to help your glasses last forever!

　　If you have a place of your own, it may seem appealing to leave shards of glass where you ended up using it. Sometimes I do feel guilty about it. I remember living with friends. There is a water pipe on the floor in each bedroom, a spoon pipe in the kitchen, two or three smoking areas on each table, and at least one water pipe on the coffee table, a few vaporizers and enough other parts for possible coming over each of them takes one in each hand. While this is fun, it has become a problem for several reasons: some of my favorite pieces were misplaced, and several were knocked off the counter and smashed by unwitting guests. This disorder is driving me crazy! When I got my own place after this, I decided I didn’t want every open surface in my home to be covered in glass, but I also didn’t want to sacrifice smoking within reach when I wanted to. So I started researching how to store my work without sacrificing the accessibility of my most used work. In this article, I’ll share with you some tips for protecting glass without sacrificing too much convenience.

　　If you have an active family, put it away.

　　First, if you have an active family, be it friends, roommates, or pets, it’s almost always safest not to leave out anything that could spoil it. If you really want your mugs to last, you need some storage solutions. It could be a large suitcase or cabinet where you store all your belongings, or it could be a number of smaller storage spaces around the house where you might want to use your creations. Personally, I like to use both strategies. As your collection grows, securing all of your pieces can become a challenge. Try some of my strategies to help your collection last as you build!

　　A large space

　　Usually, I like to keep a large storage space that doesn’t get in the way of things I don’t use frequently. In my large storage area, I keep large water pipes that I use for special occasions, old parts that I don’t use often but don’t want to throw away, empty glass jars and other containers, seasonal parts and spares, including extra slides , old seasonal nails and extra tapping tools accumulated over the years. No matter where you live, I’m sure you can find some out-of-the-way places for safe storage.

　　Whether it is a wardrobe, a cabinet or a special space in the trunk, it must be ensured that it will not be bumped. You never know what will happen if your glasses bump into each other. No matter what you use, you need to think about how to organize the area, because throwing all the glasses in the same place can be more dangerous than throwing them outside! Not only do you need to think about how all the items will be placed when they are put away and placed individually, you also need to think about how each item can be easily accessed without disturbing the other. In other words, if you’re going to put small water pipes together in an area, can you grab one from behind without knocking over anything in front of it? Try to keep your storage space as organized as possible, so that debris can be easily taken out and used. This is the easiest thing to say. I usually store works in order of height, with the shortest in the front and the tallest in the back. Still, I put down the tall hoses and wrapped them in a towel for a little extra cushioning, since they’re top-heavy and usually the most prone to tipping over and breaking. You have to decide what works best for your space, but generally, I like to store my pieces in groups of similar pieces. For excess slides, nails, and containers, I put them in designated smaller containers in the larger storage area. This way, I can pull out my entire collection at once and pick out what I want without doing too much searching. I use the same system to collect the tubes, but I put each tube in a container or wrap it in something soft. I then store the individually wrapped tubes in plastic containers or baskets. Grouping your collections and keeping everything in designated containers will help keep everything safe, organized, and easily accessible!

　　Have you been using it all the time? Keep it within reach.

　　Are you thinking, “This sounds inconvenient for something I’ve been using”? Well, storage doesn’t have to be so inconvenient. There’s nothing wrong with keeping your favorite items within easy reach. For example, my favorite water pipe base is wide and stable, and I don’t have to worry about being knocked over. For safety, I left a small area between the sofa, the side table and the wall where the plumbing fits just right. That way, it stays safe, but I can still grab it from the couch and get ready to go!

　　I also keep some quick drawers around the house for easy access. Whether you keep the cup in a container or box, it’s safest to keep it separate from other items in the drawer, so be sure to keep those drawers organized. If you don’t have a drawer, you can do the same, put the towels in a small basket and put your favorite tubes in there. Packing your glassware will keep your glassware safer and help keep your house from getting too cluttered, without sacrificing the convenience of having it at your fingertips!

　　Use your favorite works.

　　For your favorite or most expensive works, it is recommended that you take extra precautions. I keep my favorite items separate from other glassware so that something doesn’t fall on it, or even bump it accidentally. Special circumstances are always the safest option if you can afford it. However, this can be expensive, and with the variety of hoses on the market, it can be difficult to find boxes that fit some of the more unique hoses. So, sometimes you have to adapt. As long as you can put it in something hard outside where it won’t get accidentally bumped, it should be safe, but be aware of what might happen. Although, if you’re willing to put in the extra work, you can customize a cheap box for any plumbing!

　　Taking good care of and organizing your creations will make your glasses last longer and make it easier to find the collectibles you want when you need them! I hope you have some ideas on how to manage your collection. Check out an article from March that describes how to custom design your own case for your glass on the cheap!