JennifersLost Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 How many do you own? Why do you choose cloth over paper? Are you able to get them "clean" or do you keep an extra set for company? Wouldn't the first spaghetti stain render them forever stained? Any cloth napkin advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacqui in mo Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I have napkins that are mostly polyester type. They wash very well. I hardly even have to spray any stain removal on them & I have at least one really messy kid. I just got tired of using paper napkins & all the trash they created. Cloth looks nicer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samba Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I use cloth napkins most of the time, not always. I like the way they feel better than paper napkins, they don't fall apart with messy meals and I don't feel like I am just tossing more and more trash away. I strongly dislike cheap polyester napkins. They feel awful and I won't buy them. I have had a couple of sets that stained easily and, after stain treating them, I just try to use those for not-too-messy meals but most of the sets I have wash pretty easily. Staining has not been a big problem. One helpful thing is that I have a lot of red in my kitchen so my red napkins are not likely to stain easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I'm thinking of doing all cloth--this summer, we visited my mil, and she has gone with cloth. She found a bunch at thrift stores--they are so cheap, they can be disposed of if absolutely necessary, but most are easy-care fabrics that don't hold stains. She didn't bother matching to her table cloths--just puts them, folded in thirds and once again, in a pretty basket. She feels it's better than disposing of so much paper. Don't know if it really helps the environment, but it makes her feel better, and it IS nice to have cloth vs paper. I know she has a really nice linen set for company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 (edited) I use different ones for company. It's not so much because of the staining, as because with cloth if you don't wash them all together each time, they fade to slightly different colors. The synthetic ones clean right up. The cotton ones are more absorbent but require more care and stain removal/fussing. When all my cloth napkins are in the wash, sometimes I use dishtowels (for family), and the thin ones double as functional napkins really, really well. Of course, afterwards I don't use them for dishes without washing them first. Company gets the fancy tablecloth with matching napkins, or (oddly enough) casual paper napkins that coordinate with the season. Edited February 10, 2009 by Carol in Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use cloth. I have some "hotel" ones, that are about 12" square, and some that are smaller. They are all cotton; polyester isn't at all absorbent. I prefer the ones I made from really strongly colored quilting fabric. I hemmed them, but it was sort of a pain. The next batch will just be stitched around, close to the edge, and the minimal fraying will just be part of their charm. Bonus: you can get about a dozen 10" napkins out of a yard of fabric, and if you use bright, swirly colors, who can tell if there are stains? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 They're all we use! I have many that I've collected over the years, so we have a good assortment (probably about 25-30). I do keep a separate set for company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We converted to cloth this year. A friend of mine who sews made me a set of 84 cotton flannel napkins. They are a dark color so stains do not really show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenKitty Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 She didn't bother matching to her table cloths--just puts them, folded in thirds and once again, in a pretty basket. What a cute idea! I've made a few but wouldn't mind finding some thrift either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I use them! I pick them up at thrift shops and Goodwill/Salvation Army. I'll buy sets of 4 or more, but I prefer sets of 6 or 8 (we are a family of 8, but two are in college). We never match at mealtime...we just pull napkins out of the cupboard. I probably have about 35-40 right now. If I'm having company I will try to match them, but if I don't have enough I'll alternate every other place setting so as to look somewhat coordinated (lol...if they only knew!). Yes, spaghetti can ruin them. I have some dark ones that show no stains, and some light ones that are icky-looking but are okay for everyday use. I've used cloth napkins for the past 20 years. When they get ratty I throw them out. I'm always on the lookout for more...I usually pay $0.50 - $1.00 for 4-6 of them. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use cloth almost exclusively. I don't worry about stains. I wash them, occasionally bleach them, and don't stress about stains as long as they are clean. For company I do have nice white ones. I am more careful about treating stains for these. Sometimes I will buy paper napkins for a large party but do try to rely mostly on cloth. We are a family of four--I think I might have twelve napkins??? We use them for a day or two unless they are gross (as happens with ds!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaS Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use cloth. We have probably 30-40 right now, but I'd like more. We've got 8 people living here, so we go through them pretty fast. We use them for more than one meal if they are not very dirty. I don't worry about stains. They are what they are. I do have nicer ones for company, but we rarely have anyone that would notice stains (ie all our friends have kids...). I fold mine and keep them in a nice basket. I made a bunch, too. I didn't hem them, just did a tight zig zag stitch around the edges and a little fraying is just overlooked. :001_smile: I use cloth to cut down on grocery costs and to save the earth a little. Same reason I cloth diapered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use cloth unless we're having a big get-together (happens about once a month) where we can't all sit around the table anyway. I do use cotton. The ones we use for everyday have absolutely no connection to the color scheme in my dining room, but they were a wedding gift and have come in handy with kids. Then I have a nicer beige cotton set with burgundy designs that comes clean easily enough that I break out with matching burgundy placemats. I do have some R-E-A-L-L-Y nice linen ones that my grandmother gave me along with a linen tablecloth and her wedding silver, but I have yet to use them. The thought scares me! Oh, and recently my grandmother also gave me a cute red-and-white cotton checked tablecloth with matching napkins that truly looks like something right out of a picnic basket. I haven't used them yet, either, but only because it's not spring! Mostly I think we have sets of six. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We switched over the summer and have adjusted quite nicely. I was very much afraid we'd forget to use them or that I couldn't keep up with the laundry, but it hasn't been a problem. We bought 12 for a family of four: one in use, one in the laundry, one in the drawer. I'm not sure what ours are made of. I think they're probably a cotton/synthetic blend. We bought dark blue ones, and they don't show much in the way of staining. I'm very happy we did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_Edgerton Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use cloth. They are plain white from Ikea. 4 for $1.99. I have at least 12. I usually just throw them in the reg. whites. However, about every 2 weeks I do a bleaching. I love them. They are soft, good for the environment, and make each meal feel a little fancy! I would probably look into having a set especially for dinner parties. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose in BC Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I know this might sound crazy but when I went to Walmart last year to buy them I didn't want to spend the money on the fancy ones . . . since I would be using them everyday with me kids. So I bought a couple of packages of dishcloths . . .you know the ones you'd use to wash your dishes with and they have held up fantastically. They haven't stained, in over one year of use and many tomato based dishes. In fact they still look almost new. So for everyday use, that's what I would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I haven't bought paper napkins in, oh, 25 years, except for when I have a big group of friends over for a cook-out. Othewise, it's cloth. I have...a bunch. I think I have 8 of each color/design. :-) Each person gets a clean napkin for each meal, and we throw them in the laundry room afterwards. I have not had problems getting them clean. I do have white linen napkins for more formal dinners; I presoak them in Amway's all-fabric bleach before washing them and they all look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherryTX Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I RARELY buy paper towels any more - I went out and bought a few more dish towels, bandannas(the cheap ones for a buck at walmart or Dollar Tree) and some very nice cloth napkins I found at TJMaxx, etc. We don't care about matching. Some of the bandannas have gotten stained, but they are multicolored, so it isn't a big deal at all. And, if they are all in the wash, I tell the kids to grab a clean dish cloth or face cloth instead. Except for the white bar towels I picked up REALLY cheap at Sam's club the other day, I make a point of buying darker towels and face cloths so they are not scuffed up too much. We also will reuse old t shirts by ripping them into rags for dirty jobs (like cleaning out the ferret cage or cleaning grease off the engine or my husband's hands when he works on the car.) Why don't we use paper napkins? We are a family of 7, and I was spending way too much money on paper towels, and paper napkins (when I did buy those - it was mostly paper towels). Also, it generated a lot of extra trash. More mess to clean up! Also - why I wouldn't classify myself as an environmentalist(too many negative connotations to that term), I do think it is silly to create a lot of unnecessary waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
materursa Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use cloth napkins pretty much exclusively. I'm not sure how many we have. I have some I use just for the kids, especially the boys as they can get very messy. They use some wash cloths/face cloths. I like the terry for them; it cleans them up better. :) Some of those are stained, but, they don't mind. We basically use them until they get dirty. With my youngest that generally means every meal; he's 2. I also have some white wash cloths that we use in place of paper towels on most occasions. They work well, but sometimes there's just something that's REALLY yucky, and then I use paper towels. These I bleach on occasion to sanitize and whiten. ~Amanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We have about 20 cotton napkins that I made awhile ago. They wash very easily and have yet to ruin one. We use paper towels for big, messy spills but the cloth napkins for everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I have always used cloth. I have a million. Okay. Not really. I have dark ones for the fall and winter, green, purple, red, orange. I have summery colored ones in more pastel colors for the warmer months; they come out around Easter. I've collected them from Ikea, thrift stores, and Cost Plus World Market. Like Ria and others, I'm always on the lookout. Did anyone mention this? We have different napkin rings for each person. So dad gets the piggy, I have the rocking horse, etc., etc. That way we know whose is whose. We use them for several meals until they get icky. I don't fuss over stains. I don't care for white because they're too hard to clean. Though I do have a set that I whip out at Christmas. I throw them in the wash with whatever is like colored. Go cloth. You know you want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We almost never use napkins at all. But when we do, I have black cotton ones. No stains! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanga Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 (edited) We use cloth napkins. Most of my napkin are multi-colored (fall), red, or green because I bought them when they were 75 % off in after holiday sales. If they have spaghetti stains I haven't noticed them. I also use wash cloths and towels instead of paper towels. It cuts down on both the cost of purchasing paper products as well as the amount of trash we create. I keep the napkins in a basket on the counter. I have several sets of 6 - 8 sets of napkins, so I don't have to worry about washing them too often. I keep a plastic bucket in the laundry room that I throw dish cloths, towels and napkins in so I don't have to worry about them soiling or mildewing (just invented that word) the other laundry. I do have separate "good" linens when we have company. This is primarily because my dining room table is much larger than my kitchen table and I already owned table cloths and napkins that fit it and they were light colored, so I did not want to use those napkins for everyday and have to worry about them being stained and then not having nice napkins to match my table cloth. I hope that makes sense. Edited February 10, 2009 by Kanga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use hardly any paper products. For regular meals, the kids just grab a dish cloth out of the drawer to use as a napkin. For fancy meals I have "real" cloth napkins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Wow - I'm late to the party! I'm going to get some - this sounds very cool. I think I'll pick up more towels and do away with the paper towels as well. You all are so smart and savvy.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I have used cloth for years and years. I love them! I have found they intimidate folks tho. When some people see matching dishes, silverware and cloth napkins..well, it scares them. After they get to know me, they realize it's just Corelle dishes and homemade napkins! No big deal. We used the different napkin rings for each member when the kiddoes were all at home. Sometimes I reuse them for a day or two now when it's just DH and me. I find the cotton fabrics hold up well for the long haul. Polyester ones don't stain, but the rolled hems don't hold up well and they don't absorb anything! I have a rainbow of colors in my napkin drawer. It's fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I use them. I prefer the cotton ones. I've got several sets to match table cloth or place mats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovans4 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 we have used cloth napkins for as long as I can remember. We have some cotton ones I got inexpensively somewhere, can't even remember. The ones we use the most, however, are actually washcloths picked up in a pack of 12 for maybe $5. They are very absorbent and wash up great. I admit it bothers me when we go to my sister's house and they rip off a big paper towel for each person at every meal. LauraD in MN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I have found they intimidate folks tho. When some people see matching dishes, silverware and cloth napkins..well, it scares them. Well, then, I'm glad I brought my dc up with matching dishes, silverware, and cloth napkins.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Wow - I'm late to the party! I'm going to get some - this sounds very cool. I think I'll pick up more towels and do away with the paper towels as well. You all are so smart and savvy.... About every ten years or so I buy a package of a dozen "bar mops" at costco. I use those instead of paper towels. They're more square and smaller than regular dishtowels, and are very handy for spills and stuff. I only buy paper towels once a year when my mom comes to visit. She feels you simply must have them or you aren't civilized or something. She keeps trying to convince me to get the kind of paper towels that you can rip off tiny pieces of, because those save trees. But I ain't buying it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Did anyone mention this? We have different napkin rings for each person. So dad gets the piggy, I have the rocking horse, etc., etc. That way we know whose is whose. We use them for several meals until they get icky. This is what we did growing up too. Right now I use paper mostly, b/c with 5 kids and a constant laundry backlog, plus cloth diapering, the thought of having to wash napkins all the time is just too much for me. But I plan to go back to it before too many more years pass... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamnkats Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 How many do you own? Why do you choose cloth over paper? Are you able to get them "clean" or do you keep an extra set for company? Wouldn't the first spaghetti stain render them forever stained? Any cloth napkin advice? It never occurred to me that anyone ever used anything BUT cloth! We use cloth over paper because I never considered paper and don't like using any disposable products. When we lived in the US (we've only had a washing machine for a year) we used cloth TP also. Company gets the same napkins the rest of the family gets. I buy mine at the thriftstore about once a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SapphireStitch Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We're another family who uses cloth napkins. My Dd made a bunch of them about a year ago; she used cotton quilting fabric from the clearance racks at JoAnn. We found 4 or 5 prints we liked and stocked up on several yards each, so we can make more as we need them. For everyday use we have a big stack of blue and white calico that go nicely with our everyday blue and white dishes. These just get tossed into the wash with the medium or dark clothing loads, and they get pretty clean. Some of them have spaghetti or taco stains, but the print is pretty busy so they don't show a lot. For company I have a set of nice cream and beige calico print napkins that go with our nicer dish set. If these get stained I pre-treat them with Stain Stick before washing. We do a modified napkin ring system so that napkins get used for more than one meal. I say "modified" because I never got around to buying napkin rings, so Dd took wooden clothes pins and wrote our names on them with Sharpie markers. We just fold our napkins up and clip them after each meal. My clothes pin says "MOM" in caps, but if I turn it over it says "WOW"...hee hee :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyX8 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 These are my cloth napkins/paper towels. I've also dyed flour sacks for drying dishes, etc. They match my kitchen and my Le Creuset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Oh I just love that last one. It's so bright and cheery!!! We use dishtowels. They are the thin old fashioned type. They feel like flour sack ones. I got mine from K-mart. They are from the Martha Stewart line. I would really like to make a nice big matching set. Perhaps my mom will help, the sewing machine really hates me:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 I've managed to break my sewing machine. If you were hand-sewing them, what kind of a stich would you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmgirlinwv Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We use them. I like them better than paper. Rarely do they stain. They are often on clearance at WM or Target. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I mostly use cotton bandanas of varying colors. I use the red ones for spaghetti!! I also have a few other non-bandana ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon H in IL Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Of course! Doesn't everyone? :tongue_smilie: Plain white cotton for everyday, I recently finished mending the hemming on the edges. They are pretty old now, very soft, but durable twill. Spaghetti causes me to do some bleaching occasionally. But I'd have to bleach other stuff anyway, so it's not like it's extra work. I have several sets for more formal meals: a set of pale yellow damask linen, very large size; a set of French-made cotton damask in white/deep blue blocks; and some more white damask in a smaller, tea size. All purchased dirt cheap except the French ones, which are souvenirs of a trip to Boulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Rittenhouse Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Yes, and I made them out of our worn old sheets. I had two sets of 100% cotton sheets that had been replaced with new ones. I cut 12 inch square from the parts of the sheets that were still good. I serged the edges with cotton thread and gave them a good hot water wash with bleach. I got 3-4 dozen napkins. When they get stained I use a hot water oxy-clean wash and when they wear out I toss them into the cleaning rag pile. The life cycle of this set of sheets was 20 years on the bed, 6 years and counting as napkins, and only one is in the cleaning rag pile as yet. I think that frugal enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 When they get stained I use a hot water oxy-clean wash and when they wear out I toss them into the cleaning rag pile. The life cycle of this set of sheets was 20 years on the bed, 6 years and counting as napkins, and only one is in the cleaning rag pile as yet. I think that frugal enough. It pays to buy good quality sheets! I have to go look into my linen closet now for passable sheets that can start their new life as napkins... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainViewMama Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Funny, I was just thinking I would like to start doing this and then I read this post! I love the picture that was posted of there cloth napkins. They are so cute! It inspired me to go get started on mine. Thanks!!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto5 Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 In order to avoid washing the cloth napkins after every meal, each member of the family (7 total) has a different napkin color. Each family member then has 2 napkins in their color. Some of the kids made their own napkins by taking the white cotton restaurant napkins and decorating them with fabric markers or iron-ons in their color or with their name on it. We have plain napkins for visitors for casual meals and a nice set for sit down dinners with visitors. We love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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