Table etiquette is about more than just eating — it’s about being clean, professional, and proper. Our Go Green Cleaning Experts team wants you to have amazing etiquette when you eat clean, so here are some of our tips to improve your etiquette:

Table Setting

If you’re hosting a dinner, your table setting manners do matter. Think about what dinner you’re trying to have — is it a fancy dinner party, semi-formal, or a casual barbecue? Whatever it is, your table setting will speak volumes.

A basic table setting will have one set of silverware, a semi-formal one will have two forks, a knife, a spoon, and a soup spoon, and a fancy setting will have three kinds of forks, four types of glasses, a teaspoon, a prong for sugar cubes, and a butter dish. For most dinner parties, use the “outside-in” rule when given a lot of silverware — the first fork and knife are used for the appetizer and the final set is used for the main course.

If you’re at a restaurant, each set of utensils should be handed to the waiter or waitress after the course is finished, so you’re only left with clean silverware.

Napkins

Napkins should be folded on your lap at the start of your meal. Before you take a sip of your wine or water, be sure to dab your mouth to avoid any food stains on the rim of the glass. Unless you are leaving, place your napkin on your seat whenever you stand up, instead of bunched up on the table.

Lemons

Tell us something worse at dinner than getting lemon juice sprayed in your eyes! If you’re squeezing lemon juice into your water, remember to shield your lemon from the rest of your dinner party with your hand, so no one leaves the table with stinging eyes.

For more information on how you can have proper, clean table etiquette, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and remember to review us on Yelp, and Angie’s List.