Cloth or paper napkins?

[Shelby5514]

We switched to "cloth napkins" awhile ago for everyday use. Instead of napkins we bought a 12 pack of wash cloths for $4.99. They are super absorbent, CHEAP and easy to wash. Just throw them in with a load of towels.

 

[Mom of 3 Princesses]

We have always used paper napkins, except on holidays. Lately the quality of the paper napkins has gone way down hill. They are as thin as toilet paper and we end up using 3 or 4 for each person per meal. That's a lot of napkins with 7 people!
I was wondering if anyone here uses paper napkins and if there is a higher quality type that I can buy somewhere? We looked in BJ's at the dinner napkins, but they were outrageously expensive.
Then I was considering cloth napkins. I know I'd have to buy a few sets because I don't wash dishtowels everyday, but they would last a long time. Any thoughts on cloth napkins?

We use cloth napkins. We stopped buying paper ones about 6 years ago, At first, it drove me NUTS!! Now, I deal with it and reluctantly admit it was a good move. We buy paper towels every 3 or 4 months. But, only 1 or 3 rolls. We have also found that if we have paper towels around, we use them more. (not for eating, but wiping counters) Therefore it is better when we have none. It is an adjustment, but it saves us money and it is so much better for the environment (that is why we originally did it.)

You can get them from places on SALE all the time.

 

[kirstenb1]

We've used cloth ever since I moved out on my own 20 some yrs ago. To keep it simple, I keep a large stash of red cotton napkins, then switch out the table runner for the seasons. Okay, I do have some halloween black and white ginghams with pumpkins on them for fall, but mostly I use the red!

However, I do break out the Vanity Fair paper ones when I'm hosting a large gathering. They're some of the nicer ones I've seen,.

 

[khgreen]

At first I replaced paper napkins in our house with colorful washcloths (I went to a few restaurants that used washcloths as napkins and I thought it was a fun idea). Later I bought about 50 cloth napkins at Target on clearance and now I use those for our everyday napkins. I think I ended up paying about 25 cents per napkin and they have held up so well.

 

[shortbun]

I use cloth except for things like birthday parties. We don't wash our cloth napkins after every meal. Each person gets to decide when their napkin needs washing. I have a set of springlike multi color, a set of black, a set of red, a set of green and blue. I also have several different sets of linen that I only use for Thanksgiving or other really formal settings. I mix the red and green at Christmas. I mix green, orange, red and yellow for fall. I even take cloth napkins on our vacation. I use kitchen towels to wipe up messes. Just something about a cloth napkin. When my girlfriends come over, they always ooh and ahh about them. lol!

 

[disneydreamersx4]

I LOVE the wash cloth idea and I will use a napkin holder for each of us I would also break out the paper napkins for company.

 

[hipchickie]

We switched to cloth napkins about a year ago ..."funny" thing was that we had all these cloth napkins put away in a cabinet, never using them, but spending money on paper napkins!
They are nothing fancy, but I have been amazed at how well they have held up.

On a somewhat related note, I changed to the paper towels that tear off in smaller sheets, and that has really cut down out paper towel use too.

 

[jen22984]

A lot of the time we use cloth dishtowels. If I do buy paper napkins though, I get them at IKEA. I think they are $1.99 for 100 napkins and they last us several months. I bought a pack the first weekend in December and still have 1/2 - 3/4 of the pack left. Usually it is just my youngest DD that asks for a paper napkin.

 

[Tweevil]

We always have a mapine. (or is it moppine?) - eh... I say mapine.
Cloth towels - I have bought them and I have made them.
Much better than paper napkins/paper towels. My son even has this favorite mapines.

Paper is reserved for draining things - bacon, fries, things like that.

I even carry one around when I go to the parks - lol, I have a moist wash cloth or something similiar in a ziptop in my bag.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

Well, my kids use cloth, usually thier sleeve or shoulder, does that count?

 

[My5Mouseketeers]

We also always use cloth napkins. I have a big pile that is on the lazy susan in the middle to the dining room table. Once in awhile I will see some on the clearance rack somewhere and buy more. With 5 kids I'm always doing laundry, I just throw them in with everything else.

My kids always grab cloth over paper (towels, napkins,etc) My DH is just the opposite, he grew up in a house where everything was disposable. drives me crazy.

 

[skip323]

We have used cloth for a number of years now. We do, as many others do, paper for parties but that is it. We have sets for dinner and also a number of cloth napkins that are for the kid's lunch boxes. We have paper towels....I can handle having them around and not using them much but, good gosh, dh just uses paper towels like there is no tomorrow! It drives me crazy! I may have to stop buying them because he just can't handle it! I use rags for cleaning so rarely, if ever, do I need papertowels.

 

[EllenFrasier]

We always have a mapine. (or is it moppine?) - eh... I say mapine.
Cloth towels - I have bought them and I have made them.
Much better than paper napkins/paper towels. My son even has this favorite mapines.

Paper is reserved for draining things - bacon, fries, things like that.

I even carry one around when I go to the parks - lol, I have a moist wash cloth or something similiar in a ziptop in my bag.

Had to look up mapine - it's Italian for dishcloth or dishrag! Actually, the website I found it on was talking about annoying Rachael Ray catch phrases.
I can't wait to go shopping now for some dishcloths!

 

[EllenFrasier]

We also always use cloth napkins. I have a big pile that is on the lazy susan in the middle to the dining room table. Once in awhile I will see some on the clearance rack somewhere and buy more. With 5 kids I'm always doing laundry, I just throw them in with everything else.

My kids always grab cloth over paper (towels, napkins,etc) My DH is just the opposite, he grew up in a house where everything was disposable. drives me crazy.

I notice you have twins too! Are they boys or girls, or one of each? We have boy/girl twins that are 12.

 

[mom2val]

We switched to "cloth napkins" awhile ago for everyday use. Instead of napkins we bought a 12 pack of wash cloths for $4.99. They are super absorbent, CHEAP and easy to wash. Just throw them in with a load of towels.

We use wash cloths for everyday too! We have real cloth napkins that we use for company but keep a kitchen drawer filled with the wash cloths for everyday use. DD takes paper napkins in her lunch box. We save the ones from fast food and take out for her lunches.

 

[laurafergie]

We have used cloth for a number of years now. We do, as many others do, paper for parties but that is it. We have sets for dinner and also a number of cloth napkins that are for the kid's lunch boxes. We have paper towels....I can handle having them around and not using them much but, good gosh, dh just uses paper towels like there is no tomorrow! It drives me crazy! I may have to stop buying them because he just can't handle it! I use rags for cleaning so rarely, if ever, do I need papertowels.

This is exactly why I put my paper towels away in an inconvenient place. I only use them for windows or for frying. He used them for everything! DH know where the paper towels are, but never wants to bend over and dig in the cabinet, so now he uses the hand towels!!

 

[Piper]

This is exactly why I put my paper towels away in an inconvenient place. I only use them for windows or for frying. He used them for everything! DH know where the paper towels are, but never wants to bend over and dig in the cabinet, so now he uses the hand towels!!

Mine are kept under the sink--so, it's just easier to grab the dish towel. I've also found out the dish towels are great for baking a potato and covering dishes in the microwave! I have one that I keep hung up for actual dishes and one I keep folded for other things!

 

[arihillfarm]

Always use cloth napkins - my house is not a low end fast food restaurant!

Could not serve a great meal and use paper napkins - just seems weird to me.

Same here. I grew up using cloth napkins and have never used paper napkins except for really messy foods like ribs or when traveling. We don't wash them everyday though unless they get dirty. They are mostly used to deflect dropped foods from our laps to the floor, keeping it off of our clothes, LOL!

-Astrid

 

[pearlieq]

Huh. I never knew so many people used napkins, of any sort. We always just used paper towels. Paper napkins only come out for parties, and the cloth ones only on holidays.

I guess we're the klassy house!

 

[gillenkl]

We use cloth here - I bought 2 large packs of washclothes at IKEA and that's what we use.