Napkins for everyday use. Paper or linen?

[Suzy Wong]

When I was growing up my mother only used cotton/linen napkins, in various patterns and colors.

I have been using the chinet paper kind for ages, but I have startd using cotton ones a few weeks ago and I love it. Much better than all that paper and it's only two of us so it doesn;t make much of a laundry difference.

Just curious what other people use at home.

[Dilfan]

We use mostly paper, but I have a set of the 1st Class airline type cloth napkins that I got from Restoration Hardware a few years ago. One of then got caught in the washer and was torn, but the rest we still use regularly.

[bdavid]

Good point - I've been thinking of this lately. I always use linen/cotton for dinner guests, but we use paper for day to day. I grew up with my own linen napkin with its napkin ring. After eating, you slipped it back into the ring and used it again the next night. I like the idea of getting back to that. Thanks for the reminder!

[JudiB]

When it's just my husband and I we grab a paper towel, lol!

But I've got a great assortment of cloth which I love. We use them all the time when we have dinner guests.

I have some linen napkins that are beautiful - from my mother.... but I don't use them. (hate to iron!) :)

[gumbo lover]

Cloth napkins with a few of the good quality thick paper type on the side, if I am serving a messy dish like bbq shrimp, ribs etc... I can't stand not having a good napkin in my lap while I'm eating. Makes me feel nekkid.

[globe9]

As a kid, my parents always made us use cloth or linen napkins. They both still do. Now that I'm on my own, I use paper most of the time, but I do own cloth napkins and will use them when I have guests.

[Mrs. Fury]

Paper all the time. If we have a "dinner party" it's a bbq or something casual. We live too far away from our friends to have a fancy dinner they have to drive home after.

[Leo in B.R.]

Usually use paper - but should switch to cloth. I have some and "know better"!

[gumbo lover]

You can buy fun inexpensive cloth napkins for everyday use. I bought a pack of commercial colored napkins at Sam's for everyday use. I buy holiday versions as well, so I can change them out seasonally. The kids enjoy that.

[justagirl]

I use paper. I didn't grow up using cloth napkins in the house.

Judi, now I know...I thought for sure yall used cloth every day...you had me suckered! lol

I'm weird about eating...I can't eat with out a napkin (well, I physically can, but I don't like it) and I get upset when my napkin gets dirty...I know...I'm weird.

[Jerry]

Only cloth napkins...even when we eat poolside on our patio.
Indoors it includes proper placemats, matching silver and fully lit candelabra.

Hey....you only live once!:cool:

[PNG]

Both depending upon who sets the table and who is dining with us and what we are dining on!

[Bill in Tally]

If it's just family, paper. If we have dinner guests, cloth.

[Double M]

My Mother always used a cloth napkin for my Father and paper napkins for the 7 children, which was sensible in those days. I have always used cloth napkins for us and our 4 children. Now that I have grandchildren, I still use cloth for everyone...just throw them in the washing machine. Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of napkins. Whenever I travel, I usually buy cloth napkins. Something I can use and they recall good memories.

[mgbeads]

I grew up using cloth napkins everyday and my wife and I have continued using cloth napkins for the last 40 years whenever we have a sit down meal. Now with the kids gone we mostly don't use the table to eat, but when we do, weather it is for only the two of us or others, we use cloth napkins. When our kids were home and they brought over friends to eat, I think we were thought of as sort of strange to be using cloth napkins.

[Suzy Wong]

Only cloth napkins...even when we eat poolside on our patio.
Indoors it includes proper placemats, matching silver and fully lit candelabra.

Hey....you only live once!:cool:

Strolling costumed Spanish trio on Mexican night, or some patio chamber music?;)

Sounds nice!

[Shannon]

Since I had kids, I've been using mostly paper. But now that I think about it, I should switch back to linen. I'll need to find them or buy more, but with everything else rising in cost at the stores, having to buy one less thing is a good thing - and they don't take much space in the washing machine - throwing them in with a load of towels won't cost me any more.

[Maxine]

Linen. Almost always. If I'm serving something really messy like bbq, I sometimes relent and have some paper napkins on the side.

But my drycleaner is great. He's gotten red sauce, bbq, salad dressing, etc out of my cream colored napkins/tablecloths more times than I can count.

P.S. Lenox makes some really nice ones (in my opinion). I know that Dillards sells them. Or you could probably order them on line.