yeah i dont bother ironing my napkins anymore, unless i'm throwing a special dinner. it seems a little thankless ...

embrace the wrinkles!

I wish that worked with my napkins... the edges where they're hemmed always get folded up and even when warm, they're always creased into that position. Only a hot iron will flatten them. :(

I pick cloth napkins that have a pattern on them so that they don't show stains as readily. Also, at the craft stores you can often get handkerchiefs for less than a dollar each. They make awesome napkins. They are huge, and easy to launder, plus the old fashioned red bandanna ones are super cute for picnics.

I love Ikea dishtowels - the waffle-y ones - for casual meals. No folding required because of the waffle texture. And they are substantial enough for really messy meals.

Okay, I confess to being the weirdo that loves folding laundry (think origami). My napkins are made from thin cotton batik that hides stains and folds nearly wrinkle free even if they have cooled down from drying. They are festive and not very expensive to make.

I just ironed a stack of napkins last night! I wish I would've had this post instead. I have a strange sense of accomplishment with my starched linen, though my husband probably doesn't even notice :)

My mother taught me this trick. I take the napkins out of the washer and paste the wet napkins onto a clean window or the shower wall (I have marble shower walls). I just smooth out the wrinkles and then just peel them off when they are dry.

taking anything out of the dryer immediately (clothes included) reduces the need for an iron

Seriously? This is a 'tip?' I've been telling my kids the same thing since they started doing their own laundry in the 7th grade, as my mother told me several decades ago as well.

This site has gotten increasing irrelevant to me in the last few months, so I am getting out. I have enjoyed some of it though, so thanks for that.

Nothing beats ironed linens.

um, duh. Between this and the wine glass charm/zipper whatev - I'm finding fewer reasons to visit this site.

I (indoor) line dry my everyday cloth napkins, shaking them out as soon as I take them out of the washer. Line drying them seems to make them a tad stiffer, almost like starch, and helps cut down on wrinkles. It also eliminates some of the bulk in the dryer so that our other clothes dry faster. I do; however, press my nicer cloth napkins.

Misstacy & Peggasus

Wow, you guys are kind of jerks. If you don't like the site anymore, you can just leave quietly, it's not as if it's turned from a home site to a white supremacist one. If it no longer fulfills your needs, move on, no need to be nasty/rude about it.

Uh, I think the one resorting to name calling is more likely the "jerk" here.

And wouldn't it be more useful to a site to know why some people are leaving?

I iron mine. And starch.

That's understandable, but acting as though the tip was useless or immediately obvious to every single person is condescending. Also, I'm not pretending i'm a great person, or that i'm not jerky/bitchy/dickish/what have you, but I am able to point it out in others. Just because I myself can be a jerk, doesn't mean i'm not allowed to call someone else out on it.

After years of ironing linens and most clothes, I recently decided enough was enough, and stopped ironing completely. Wish I'd done it sooner, as nobody notices or cares that the laundry is now unironed.

I don't see the point in ironing napkins. Does anyone really care if they are wrinkled?

It would probably be better off for the website in general if those who disagree with critics and their criticism be more constructive with their calling out beyond "Wow, you guys are kind of jerks. If you don't like the site anymore, you can just leave quietly." Hardly helpful -- and I do still think it's helpful for the website to be aware of the reasons why viewers are unhappy. I never got the whole "you can just leave" attitude that seems pervasive lately (not just here).

Anyhow, back to the topic, yeah, I made the switch to cloth napkins some years back. I get them in dark and bright colors from Zara Home, 1 euro each I think (on sale?). I've been gifted white/cream cloth napkins which I never use, it's more fun to use hot pink and rudy red napkins! Nor have I *ever* ironed any of them. I prefer to give them a quick snap of the wrist as they are taken out of the washer, and then put on the metal folder rack to dry. But sometimes if the drying rack is full, I do just toss them in the dryer, and I try to get to them while they are still warm, but that doesn't always happen. If the edges don't lay flat, I really don't care. I'm not hosting any formal dinners here.

Ironed napkins are sort of akin to the same reason you spend time making sure a recipe or dinner is perfect. Is everyone going to notice ever single detail of your effort? No. But when everything comes together like a well orchestrated symphony your are not merely sated but embraced. They may not be able to pinpoint why, but the experience can leave them with actual joy. We've been lucky enough to have been told this by more than one guest.

Aha, but i'm not being so pretentious as to assume that every word out of my mouth is glorious and everyone should take it to heart. The assumption that insulting the post and essentially every person who finds the tip useful is part of "constructive criticism" is condescending. And by leave quietly I mean, e-mail the editors/writers/owners of the site to let them know you are unhappy with their work. Acting as though the tip is stupid and you're stupid if you didn't know it already is basically jerky behavior and I'm not in the least bit sorry for pointing it out.