Good topic!

I have some cotton/polyester blends and I agree with you about their characteristics. But, the ones I've had for a long time get softer and more absorbent the older (and most washed) they get. I don't remember what percentage of cotton they were...

I also have some 100 % cotton and if I happen to remember to get them from washer to dryer and out (as soon as they are done in each) and folded, then the wrinkles aren't too too bad. It's rare that I remember that though.

Oh, and the colors of mine were a little faded by the time they had the right feel.

Hope to hear more on this. :)

Any napkins you buy that are a cotton/polyester blend will launder better than all cotton or all linen. If you are planning to make your own, look for a fabric blend. If you dry them on low heat and remove them promptly then fold them and smooth them right away, you can perhaps skip the ironing.

Many people like to use cotton fingertip hand towels for napkins, especially for everyday use and with children. They can be bought cheaply enough and you can save your nicer napkins for special occasions.

Years ago, I gave up on matching napkins to every color table covering I owned & went to 100% white cotton. Yes, they have to be ironed but they can also be bleached, wear like iron, & always look crisp & fresh at the table. It only takes 5 minutes to iron a dozen napkins. I've got about 50-60 of them & only wash when I'm practically out of clean. All total, maybe 30 minutes of my time once/month (or less) takes care of maintenance. I don't like the colored polyester ones because they seem to be coated with 'something', are not absorbent, & stain like crazy. I can't ever get the stains out. Can't tell you how many napkins I turned into cleaning rags before making the switch to 100% cotton. We also don't use paper as an environmental concern.

/tricia

We use our sleeves

darfc

I switched to cloth for environmental/budget reasons a few years ago. Mine don't match at all. My best daily-use ones are 100% cotton WAFFLE WEAVE from Dollar Tree. They aren't exactly crisp when they come out of the dryer, but they aren't wrinkled, either. Dollar Tree's "kitchen towels" are often the perfect size for napkins. At 3-for-$1, certainly worth finding out if you like them.

I have some nicer napkins that seem to be linen in a simple weave but they mysteriously don't wrinkle. I got them at a garage sale (my best source for cloth napkins; everyone's grandma had a ton and no one else seems to want them), so no certainty on the fabric. They are a lot heavier than any of my other napkins and I think that's how they come out of the dryer wrinkle-free.

My worst wrinkling napkins are 100% cotton and from Target, but they are also the most absorbent. They also stain the worst.

I have some polyester napkins that weren't absorbent. I washed them in hot water with vinegar and they are a little better. I'd say just skip the polyester entirely.

Good luck!

~Amanda

We also only use white cotton napkins -- polyester is useless for absorbing anything. The daily ones never get ironed, only quickly folded out of the drier, while the good ones do get ironed and stored.
I buy ours at WS by the pack of 12, but just Friday I found 2 packs at half price at Linens & Things going-out-of-business sale. Another good place to keep a watch at is Tuesday Mornings.

We also use all cotton napkins which are hung outside to dry after washing. They do need ironing though but are done in a jiffy if you iron them slightly damp and put two or three togther to iron at once. We also use napkin rings of a different colour for each person and so wash the napkins only after a few days. They last for years and years.

SharonCb

We use cloth napkins all the time, and it's a choice of fabric type that helps reduce the wrinkles, as well as laundering technique. Not all cotton or blends will wrinkle easily. You need to know your textiles to make the best choices.

We line-dry all our laundry and the everyday napkins (especially 100% cotton) must be fairly wet to dry without wrinkles. The weight of the additional moisture and gravity work to pull the wrinkles out. I don't use that 1000 rpm spin cycle because that's the best way to set wrinkles to begin with. I use the slowest spin cycle.

When I pull them out of the washer, I smooth them while laying flat - very carefully - to relax the wrinkles, before hanging to dry.

Another tip if you dry them in the dryer...don't let them completely dry before removing from the dryer. Spray them with Wrinkle Release (or the less expensive brand from the Dollar General - Wrinkle Releaser) before folding. It might save bringing out the iron.

-Grainlady

We've only used cloth napkins for 33 years and for the most part I don't iron them either--well, maybe the "company" napkins. I won't use poly cotton for the reasons stated above. Find a loose-ish weave cotton and just wash, dry, smooth and put on them away until meal time.
I saw a pack of cotton at BB&B I think it was 6 or 12 napkins for $9.99. I thought that they were a good deal and looked like a good fabric. I've also been successful at Pier One and World Market.

Oh, what great tips! The waffle weave from Dollar General sounds great. There must be one near here. IÂll get to Linens and Things too, IÂve been there for the sale twice already. I will try several kinds that you suggested and see what works best for our use. Westelle, what is WS, I assume a store? I have not heard of Wrinkle Release, the sounds useful in general.

Funny but when he first met my family, my husband disliked several things they did: the re-use of the cloth napkins and composting. Fast forward 25 yearsÂthis summer he embraced composting. (He doesnÂt know, but heÂs getting an attractive stainless compost pail for ChristmasÂfilled with pistachios). Now yesterday I found him rummaging in the linens drawer looking for cloth napkins! Next IÂm hoping for the acceptance of home-made Christmas gifts. My depression  era folks were ahead of their time but heÂs catching up now.

Earlier this year I quit buying paper napkins and started using only cloth napkins. I found some hemp napkins on sale at Pottery Barn that are my favorite. I line dry them and they end up a little stiff feeling, but with no wrinkles. I've since looked for more hemp napkins, but so far no luck. I do not iron my everyday cloth napkins - I either line dry them or fold them as soon as the dryer stops.

For the everyday family table I use small terry cloth hand towels. Very absorbent. No wrinkles.

A question for cloth napkin users:

I don't mean to seem judgmental here at all, because I don't feel that way. We use cloth napkins; my husband was raised on them and thinks anything else is just uncivilized. :)

The issue I have with reusing them is one of sanitation. It seems as though the remnants of food on the napkin would spoil in the same way as food left out on the counter too long. And then when you wipe your mouth with that again, well...

I hear a lot of people, though, say that they reuse their napkins. Am I thinking wrong about it? Probably.

Judi

That's an issue I'm curious about too, Judi. I'm sure it depends a great deal on just what's been eaten at a given meal.

When we tried using all cloth, and reusing them, DH just didn't like it. I've thought about just keeping a stack of fresh napkins, and letting us each replace our own whenever yesterday's didn't smell fresh.

Right now we use paper napkins. I'd like to get back to cloth use. One thing that helped with getting them right out of the dryer was to wash them with other clothes. We're pretty sure to get them hung up right out of the dryer.

I'm not into reusing them either. I guess it just depends on what you were eating and how careful a person is?

I like the ideas about having small dish towels and such. Those would be great for greasy, messy things like fried chicken and barbecue (especially if we used white ones - we could just throw them in with our towels which are all white). I usually go for paper towels in those instances. I'm going to keep a look out for some dish towels that would fit the bill. This isn't my thread but thanks for those ideas. :)

If you have a Cost Plus in your area, they have a huge seletion of colorful cotton dish towels. They're kind of small to be effectively used as dish towels, but they're a perfect size for a generous rectangular napkin, and they're fun!

First of all let me say....I am an "often" paper napkin user....but I have bushels of cloth ones...and for sure use them a lot!
Growing up, we re used the napkins....but most of the time the only soil on a napkin is a little lipstick...
If it is a fried chicken meal or a chocolate cake meal....why then fresh napkins are in order the next day.
I went to a college that changed napkins Sunday noon and Wednesday evening....whether they needed it of not! Of course those napkins were the size of a luncheon cloth...so even it one edge was soiled it was possible to refold.
Germs don't grow in a dry enviornment...I don't think there is any risk of disease from using your own napkin for a few days...but 10 meals??? However I survived!!
Linda C....who really ought to go iron....

I've used cloth napkins for the past 30+ years, through kids, teenagers, entertaining, etc. and it is my opinion that with *normal* use, the napkins do not get caked with food particles to cause worry about contamination. Just use your common sense; if a child is covered in spaghetti sauce, clean up the child with a wet wash cloth as needed; if your family meal napkins look soiled after a couple of days, then wash them and bring out some clean ones to use.

When I had small boys, I used paper towels for those meals that tended to be rather messy. We did not use personalized napkin rings, but we all had our designated place at the table and could be assured that the napkin we used at our place was ours. My mom prefers the terry hand towels for everyday use.

We use cloth napkins everyday. Most are 100% cotton, some are linen, and I probably still have a few poly or poly-blend ones. I can't remember the last time I ironed any. When they look a bit grotty, they go in the wash, although "company" always gets clean ones.

I always have some paper ones around, but seldom use them, even when we "camped" in the basement during our kitchen reno.

I have purchased some cotton napkins at Wal-Mart. I just smooth them with my hands when taking them out of the dryer. I use cotton hand towels for place mats. Easy to wash and people want to know where I got the cute place mats.

I have a drawer filled with cloth napkins. I use them when we have company. But normally I just use paper.

In order to be environmentally friendly, does anyone take into consideration the amount of water being used as well as the electricity used to run a washing machine, dryer and an iron?

Ann

Jessy's method works okay in the winter. One always wants to encourage family and friends to wear interesting patterned shirts and blouses.

Thanks for all the tips on where to get the terry and other all cotton ones for those summer occasions when people have short sleeved tops on. Have finger bowls and small damp towels for those who accidentally use their bare arms

I donÂt think the energy usage would be significant or any more than usual, as I was planning to throw the napkins into whatever wash load was ready to go. I doubt anyone runs a load of just napkins. I run my loads as full as possible/practicable. I air dry many things as it is (line drying is not practical here for much of the year), and was not planning to iron them. I seldom seem to iron anything so canÂt see that IÂd start with these.

As for durability, I know I've got some napkins that are more than 25 years old. For years there was a vendor at the Christmas show in Charlotte and I would buy new napkins and place mats from her every year. They were a linen and poly blend that wears very well and needs no ironing. I've got some white cotton ones with cutwork on the edges that were bought at TJ Maxx for about .99 each.

linnea, I totally agree. I never wash a load of 'just napkins.' We aren't really using them to be environmentally friendly (although they may be); we just like them better.

Judi

I'm like Ann, I have many cloth napkins for fussier dining occasions, with or without company. For just Alice and I it's usually a paper napkin. I bought a large stash a while ago at IKEA. Sometimes it's just a square ripped from the roll of paper towels.

In an area with abundant landfill space and a limited water supply (like my area) an occasional paper napkin is probably more environmentally prudent than washing cloth napkins and drying them in the dryer.

For those using paper napkins or towels...they compost great & will nourish your flowers come spring! We use few paper products but what we do goes into compost.

/tricia

LOL tache and here is another one

We eat so neatly that we don't NEED napkins so there

(OK truth - paper for daily, cloth for company with the table set nicely. Either option, in my household, minimally impacts the environment be it water/electricity/gas or landfill compared to the rest of the trash/laundry we generate. Napkins take up little room for both options.

Now bath towels...that subject generated quite a discussion once on the Laundry Room forum. Some folks wash all their bath towels daily. Some of them were scortched by forum flaming....

I once found some Irish linen that did not wrinkle. It had something to do with the twist of the yarn, I think, as it was a plain weave. I used it for making shirts, and I pre-washed the fabric so that the shirts could be washed without further shrinkage. I took the shirts out of the washer after the spin cycle and hung them on plastic hangers to dry. They dried very quickly and needed no ironing.

More recently, I have made napkins using cotton sateen, and they do not wrinkle badly either. I generally dry them on the clothesline outside and the fold them as I take them off the line. I chose cotton sateen because it is one of the best fabrics for clinging - the napkins will not slide off your lap. I make mine 18" square when finished.

Lars

We use cloth, usually cotton, almost always. I only iron when we are having company, otherwise just smooth them out. Dinner napkins iron up easily and quickly.

When I entertained more, I would always wash and iron my linen napkins the very next day so they would be ready to go again. My dear Mother did her usual good deed after our Thanksgiving meal: she offered to wash and iron my cut-work table cloth! I took her up on it - ha!

Even in an area of abundant landfill space and limited water supply cloth napkins are friendlier to the environment. I have yet to have a load of clothes that couldn't handle a few extra napkins being added in, so no extra water is used to wash the napkins. As stated above, I usually hang dry the napkins, so no extra energy used there. As far as landfill space being abundant - it won't be for long if we don't make some changes in the way we live. Don't forget that to make that paper napkin trees have to be harvested, paper made from pulp, napkins packaged and trucked to a store. Compare that to washing and reusing a cloth napkin over many years. Just my opinion, but the change to cloth napkins is one I feel good about.