The Art Of The Cloth Napkin

Photo Credit: Flilckr/pattyanne:made

When you are setting the dinner table, paper napkins can seem like such an easy option - especially if you are having a large gathering.  But when you realize the resources needed to produce disposable napkins, you may agree that the convenience is not worth it.

Most paper napkins are made from new trees, meaning that by using them you are contributing to deforestation.  They require water and electricity in production – and I mean a lot.  Then after you wipe your fingers with them, they go to the landfill where they will sit and add to the growing pile of junk.   What a waste!

What if you bypassed that whole process and cleaned off with a reusable cloth napkin?

I do understand that some people feel intimidated by the cloth napkin.  Cloth can bring a formality to the table that some of us may not be used to.  They may remind you of dinners with your grandparents or at very fancy restaurants.  Then there are those who feel that they cannot set out cloth napkins unless they have been laundered and ironed fresh for the table.  And others who are frightened of staining them.  Well, how about we rethink the obstacles to using cloth napkins?

Why not make every meal special? 
You don’t have to pull out the fine china and silver every night, but who’s to say you can’t have the refined experience of using a good napkin?  It is a small thing, but it can really make you feel differently about mealtime.   Heck, it may even help you to slow down and enjoy your food.

I keep a drawer full of cloth napkins near where we eat so that they are easy to get to.  I don’t pay any special attention to them as I launder them, no starch, no ironing.  Just fold them right out of the dryer (so they aren’t too wrinkly) and live with the few imperfections that the dryer gives them.  I have trained my family and guests to look there first.

Just to be clear, you will stain and ruin some. 
It is difficult to get oils and spaghetti sauce to come out completely.  But they will still be functional as napkins after the wash.  Keep using them unless they are really too unappetizing to bring to your face.  And if they are, they are easily transformed into cleaning rags!

Perhaps you won’t be so frightened to ruin a few napkins if you buy them second hand.  I have found almost all of my napkins from thrift stores and they are just fine after a good washing (use hot water just to be sure).   Pick out an eclectic supply and keep them in an easy-to-access drawer, or in a basket on your table.  Stick with a color theme – or don’t.  Be creative and make your napkins a part of your centerpiece.   You will find that your family and guests will pause to contemplate their choice.  How fun is that!

I do realize that resources are needed to create cloth napkins, including cotton harvesting, water and electricity.  But once your cloth napkin is here, it can last for hundreds of washes. And you aren’t continually contributing to the production process, which is unsustainable in my opinion.

If you do need to use paper napkins for some reason, please use recycled content napkins and make sure you dispose of them in your food and yard waste.  At least this way you will make sure that they compost and get turned into useful material instead of sitting in the landfill.

Eco Home Consultations provides green living consultation services in the Seattle area, focusing on practical ways to integrate green living into your household.  Learn more at www.ecohomeconsults.com or email questions about this blog or other green living issues to Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com.