The key etiquette rules on how to deal with food or beverage spills. Tips to be the ideal host or the perfect guest at the dining table.
What food spills etiquette is
Food spills etiquette is the set of rules to properly deal with small table or food incidents. Such rules help avoid behaviors that can disrespect hosts or guests, or make you look unpolite.
If you are hosting, follow food spills etiquette to appropriately deal with small table incidents that may occur with your guests.
If you are a guest, respect food spills etiquette rules to properly react to small food or table incidents.
As a citizen, knowing food spills etiquette helps you deal with small food incidents that may occur in any public venue or place.
Etiquette rules to deal with food spills
1) Follow the general principles to deal with food spills
Food or beverage spills can happen on many types of occasions. However, the key principles to deal with them are always valid.
I) Keep your cool
Small incidents happen. When they do, try to prevent them from being disruptive. Thus, maintain your calm while you contain the incident.
II) Contain the spill
First, contain the spill. If you dropped a bottle or a bowl, put them back in a safe spot. If you knock a glass down, put it back up. If a liquid is dropping from the table, try to contain it with your napkin.
III) Clean after yourself
If the food or beverage spill is minimal, clean it yourself. It is against etiquette to ignore it. If the spill is significant, ask your host or the staff for help.
IV) Offer to cover the expenses
You should offer to cover the expenses for any damage you might have caused. If you dropped and broke a serving platter, offer to pay for a replacement. If you spilled food or beverage on someone, offer to pay for professional cleaning of any soiled clothing.
However, when the damage is minimal, an apology is enough.
2) Know how to deal with each type of food spill or table incident
Know in advance how to deal with any table incident. Then, when an incident happens, you will be prepared to appropriately deal with it.
Dealing with food spills
If you drop a small amount of food, you can pick it up with your napkin. Then, you should ask for a new napkin. Do not put the food back on your plate.
If you drop a large amount of food, contain the spill first. Then, ask your host or the staff for help.
When you spill food on another person, contain the spill first. Do not touch the person without permission. Offer to help clean up any soiled clothes, or to pay for professional cleaning.
Dealing with beverage spills
If you spill a small amount of any beverage, you can blot it with your napkin. Then, you should ask for a new napkin.
If you drop a large amount of liquid, contain the spill first. Then, ask your host or the staff for help.
When you spill a drink or any liquid on another person, contain the spill first. Do not touch the person without permission. Offer to help clean up any soiled clothes, or to pay for professional cleaning.
Dropping a plate
When you drop a plate, ask your host or the staff for help.
If the plate is intact, it is good etiquette to pick it up. Pick up the largest chunks of food and place them on the plate. Then, wait for help. If the plate is broken, do not touch it and wait for help.
Dropping a glass
When you drop a glass, contain the spill first. Blot the spill with your napkin. Then, ask for a new napkin unless the spill was minimal. If the glass breaks or the liquid spill is significant, ask the host or the staff for help.
Do the same if you knock a bottle down.
Dropping cutlery
When you drop cutlery, you should pick it up. Then, ask the host or the staff for a replacement. Hand them the dropped utensil. Never put the utensil back on your plate or on the table.
If you cannot reach the dropped utensil, do not pick it up. Avoid crawling under the table, as it may annoy the other guests.
Dropping your napkin
When you drop your napkin, you should pick it up. If you cannot reach the dropped napkin, do not pick it up. Avoid crawling under the table, as it may annoy the other guests.
Unless you soiled the napkin when it dropped, you should not ask for a replacement.
Dropping a serving dish
When you drop a serving dish, ask your host or the staff for help. If the serving dish is intact, it is good etiquette to pick it up. Pick up the largest chunks of food and place them back on the serving dish.
Dropping serving utensils
When you drop a serving utensil, you should pick it up. Then, ask the host or the staff for a replacement. Hand them the dropped serving utensil. Never put the serving utensil back on the serving dish or on the table.
Dropping a personal belonging
When you drop a personal belonging, such as your phone, you should pick it up. If you cannot reach the item, do not pick it up. Avoid crawling under the table, as it may annoy the other guests. Wait for the end of the meal.
3) Help others if they spill food or drop an item
When a guest sitting near you drops anything, it is good etiquette to offer to help. Even more, with senior guests.
With food spills, first aid is what matters the most. It helps others to feel less embarrassed. Thus, you should help others to contain a food or beverage spill. However, you do not need to clean up someone else incident. Even more, when you risk making a mess or hurting yourself, for example with broken glass.
What to do when someone spills food or beverage on you
If someone spills food or beverage on you, keep your cool. Stay calm and act as if it is not a big deal. Reassure the person and try to limit their embarrassment.
You may or may not accept their help with cleaning up. However, if the person offers to pay for professional cleaning, it is good etiquette to refuse.
4) Deal with food spills or item drops as a host
As a host, your main goal is to make your guests feel at ease. Thus, when a guest spills food or drops a tableware item, hosts should help the guest to not feel embarrassed.
Offer to replace any dropped item. Such as cutlery or a napkin. If the guest uses a napkin to blot the spill, replace the napkin.
Never ask the guest to clean up. Instead, do it yourself before being asked to. If the guest offers to help, accept if you think it can be a relief from embarrassment. If the guest offers to pay for professional cleaning or to refund the damage, it is good etiquette to refuse.
5) Deal with food spills in public places too
If you spill food or beverage in a public space, you should deal with it too. It is against etiquette to ignore the incident. Apply the general food spills etiquette principles.
Public dining venues
If you spill food or drop an item in a public venue, ask the staff for help. However, you should still help contain the spill.
Public transportation
On a plane, where flight attendants are always available, it is best to ask the staff for help.
Usually, on transportation such as buses, trains, or subways, there are no attendants. Thus, if you spill food or drop something, you should clean up as best as you can. Remove any food, trash, or broken items.
When you travel on someone else’s boat or car, such as a taxi or uber, apply the same etiquette rules you would apply in someone else’s house. Thus, contain the spill first. Then, ask for help.
Public buildings and venues
In any public place where a cleaning staff is not readily available, you should clean up as best as you can. Ask for help only when the spill is significant, or the dropped item has broken and can hurt others.
In general, clean up at the workplace, school, and university. Ask for help in public venues such as shops, theatres, and gyms.
Accommodation
In a hotel, hostel, or bed & breakfast, the staff is usually present. Thus, if you spill food or break something, you should notify the staff.
In a rental house, such as Airbnb or VRBO, the staff is usually not present. Thus, if you spill food or break something, try to contain the damage and clean up. Then, it is good etiquette to notify the staff or the owner anyway.
Public open spaces
Food spills can occur in public open spaces too, such as streets, parks, beaches, or stadiums. In such cases, you should at least attempt to contain the damage. Doing otherwise is against etiquette.
Thus, if you drop and break an item, collect the pieces and throw them away. If you spill food, pick up at least the largest pieces and throw them in the trash.
6) How to avoid food spills and table incidents
Most food spills and table incidents can be avoided by following a few basic rules and practices.
At the dining table, respect etiquette rules for passing food and clearing the table. Do not overfill dishes, glasses, or serving plates.
Sit right according to seating etiquette. Avoid slouching, which increases the risk of food spills.
Do not eat where you are not supposed to.
Food spills etiquette: the worst mistakes
The Rude Index identifies and ranks negative behaviors.
A high score (8-10) means that the behavior has the potential to trigger a conflict with others. A medium score (4-7) means that the behavior risks making you look inelegant and unsophisticated. More about the Rude Index and its methodology here. Â
When dealing with a food spill or a table incident, avoid the worst etiquette mistakes.
- 10/10. Not containing the spill in a public space or venue.
- 9/10. Touching someone you spilled food on.
- 8/10. Over-reacting to food spills.
- 8/10. Venturing under the table to recover an item.
- 7/10. Not replacing an item dropped by a guest.
- 7/10. Not offering to compensate for the damage.
Resources
- Impact of restaurant owners’/managers’ handling of customers’ unexpected incidents on customers’ revisit intention: researchgate.net
