If bringing your knives in for sharpening, lay out your knives on a towel, fold the towel over the sharp end of the knives and roll up. Secure with string or tape.
Wash your knives by hand and don’t put your good knives in the dishwasher, it will blunt them and the heat will damage the handles. Dishwashing powder can also be corrosive.
Always use a chopping board – preferably wooden.
If you use a knife block, place the knives in the block upside down, so the blade is not cutting wood on the way in & out.
After a while the cutting edge will dull a little. Two swipes per side on a good steel is all that is required to sharpen up.
Make sure you tell your family that you have had your knives professionally sharpened. They will not be used to the razor sharp edges.