In Defense of Cloth Napkins
February 23rd, 2022
Knowing my love of fabrics, my friend Kelly recently gave me a bag of antique kitchen and table linens.I soaked the yellowed & stained items in chlorine bleach for about 15 minutes then put everything (except a few fragile looking items) into a hot wash load with pre-wash. They were hung out to dry so as not to set any stains. They were still damp this morning, perfect for ironing.
Some are kept for special occasions but we rarely entertain. The casual, persistent stains and mismatches are folded in baskets around the areas where we eat or snack. The family catches on pretty easily since they are much easier to access than the drawer where the emergency paper napkins are kept.
Paper napkins do find their way in take-out food bags but I mostly use those to wipe out greasy, eggy plates, dishes and take-out food containers. That grease and food quickly clogs up drains in dishwashers and sinks; I have fewer drainage problems now.
Clothing & Fabrics, Re-use | Comment (0)