Nora Jerel

Cloth napkins come in a variety of colors, styles, sizes, and materials making it a difficult to choose the right napkin for your event, or for home use. What should you look for in a cloth napkin?

You need to start your decision making process by considering the occasion. What are you buying the cloth napkins for? Click here would choose different cloth napkins to set at an outdoor dinner featuring barbecued ribs and hamburgers, than you would for a wedding reception. Napkins are available in heavy absorbent materials that are perfect for those barbecue stained fingers, and dainty silk napkins ideal for touching away a tiny bit of wedding cake icing.

Your second choice is to select the fabric used in your napkins. There are four primary fabrics used in cloth napkins. Cotton napkins should be your first choice for everyday use. If you are buying napkins for general use in your home, cloth is ideal. Linen napkins are another great choice for everyday use and have the advantage of having a smoother lighter feel making them ideal for dinner parties or for use in restaurants.

Silk napkins are the first choice of designers and party planners who are aiming to impress. The cool smooth material shimmers on the table and provides a pleasant feel in the hands, but does have one glaring fault. Silk is not as highly absorbent as cotton or linen. Frequently the silk napkins used to impress are removed shortly before the meal and replaced by more functional counterparts.

The final choice of materials is synthetic blends. Blended fabrics can reduce cost, have fewer issues with wrinkling, and frequently outlast all other choices. Synthetics are not as absorbent as 100% cotton napkins.

Color is another important factor to consider. You may have noticed most restaurants prefer either extremely dark colors or white. Dark colors hide stains increasing the life of the napkin. White napkins can be bleached eliminating most stains. Light colors like pink, yellow, or peach may look nice on the table, but are harder to keep clean and spot free. Light colors are excellent for decorating tables for events, but not for everyday use.

You can order your cloth napkins with a smooth finish or with a variety of patterns. Patterns add a decorative touch to the table. Patterns are more frequently found on synthetic blends and linen napkins. Patterns usua