apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I use cloth napkins but I find that most 100% cotton napkins require ironing. After looking far and wide, I found a nice set of 50/50 cotton poly napkins that feel great and look great after coming out of the dryer.

I have stacks and stacks and more stacks of all sorts of cloth napkins; from unbleached natural linen and delicately embroidered antique to brightly colored and funky prints. I have never used paper napkins in my life. Even a casual gathering for outdoor clambake has a tone set by miss matched (but not random) napkins. Recently I noticed that more and more of my friends got converted to such simple luxury. I do not iron them after washing, just fold them in neat stacks. little things like that make such a difference and make your home truly a home.

Thanks for this, Elizabeth! I was just reading the April issue of Body & Soul magazine at lunch and learned that the average American uses 2,200 paper napkins each year. Here's a great example of a small gesture anyone can make to help the environment.

I always use cloth napikins. They just feel better. Plus, they're less likely to slip off of your lap than flimsy paper napkins.

Since I was raised in a house where cloth napkins were used all the time, I don't automatically consider them formal. However, some napkins are definitely more formal than others! It's all about fabric choice and trims. My everyday napkins are simple, cream-colored cotton, but I have fancier patterned ones for special occasions.

On what planet are cloth napkins considered fancy or formal? I'm with Nougat--I grew up using them at every meal, and as far as I'm concerned, using a cloth napkin instead of a paper towel is about as "fancy" as using a plate instead of eating directly from the pot! If budget is an issue, World Market has some really cute cloth napkins that are really quite affordable.

Now that you've posted this, you must also start posting on good places to buy cloth napkins! I'm interested in making the switch, but I don't have a lot of money...

I picked up a bunch on clearance at Target about six months ago, and I see them marked down frequently. I think the most expensive individual ones were about $1 apiece, with a 4-pack being just over $2. A roll of paper towels last forever in our house now and the napkins can be reused later if you're just catching crumbs over breakfast. I have 16 and I just toss 'em in the wash when I do a load.

Mace Elaine - Crate and Barrel outlet, and CB2, are also generally good places for pretty cheap cloth napkins.

That's all I use too. I have fancier ones that match tablecloths for holidays, but our everyday ones are different colored bandannas, which cost about $1 each. In the past I have also just bought some fabric at a fabric store and hemmed them myself.

"We can't count how many times we've heard, "Ooooh, fancy!" as guests unfold cloth napkins into their laps at our dinner parties."

Ha! We get this, too, which is always funny, considering how boring and unpretentious our plain old unbleached cotton napkins are. I bought about thirty or so on sale ages ago, and wish I'd bought more. They're nice and thick, not too large, and despite being 100% cotton, don't need to be ironed. We've had to chuck a few over the years, due to abysmal staining, and now I'm finding it impossible to find replacements.

I just found a great 12 pack at Homegoods that had the same terra cotta colored flecks in my granite counters, where we eat most of our meals. I use them with every meal and even pack one for lunch. Why are such simple things so comforting?

yes, be sure you stock up on napkins before you go eco and stop buying paper towels. i ditched PTs about two months ago and have happily been using cut up t-shirts as my alternative cleaning rags. living alone i don't use napkins regularly, so i didn't give that aspect of it a single thought.

then i had a dinner party. as my guests started knocking on my door and i put the buffet plates out, i realized in horror that the last paper napkins i'd had were used up at a party months ago, there were obviously no PTs in the house, and i didn't have any cloth napkins. to my embarrassment the visiting ladies had to use dishtowels at the table.

I got a ton of cloth napkins on ebay. didn't worry too much about matching since it's just me and my husband, but we use them every day. Usually we each pick one that doesn't match and we'll use them for 2 or 3 dinners since neither of us tends to get food everywhere.

Ah -"We don't even wash ours after every use."
I have had the experience of thinking at a freinds house - hmm what is this nubbly bit? - when was this last washed?
So perhaps I would need to two sets - one for personal use - all the nubbly bits and stains are mine - and one I wash more frequently for guests.
And of course there is the horror of nose wipers when eating spicy food.

I've gotten great deals at Ross on napkins. Also, the Goodwill and Salvation Army type stores often sell sets of napkins from people's homes that rarely used them, so you can find some nice ones there. It is good to keep a quantity around, so that you don't have to wash so much. Saves water, too.

Bed Bath and Beyond had some lovely pumpkin colored ones on sale for $0.99 each, so I have 10 on their way!

Thrift stores can be a great place to find cloth napkins if you have time to wait to find something you like. I just found a dozen nice red cloth napkins for .50 each at a thrift store.

We use plain white cotton napkins for everyday, but sometimes if we overfill the washer/dryer, they come out pretty wrinkled. If they are no longer damp, I've learned (from Cheryl Mendelson's Home Comforts) that if you mist napkins with water, roll them up together and let sit for a few minutes, the water will dampen the napkins all the way through and many of the wrinkles relax.