How come people don't use cloth napkins? And what are they
wiping their hands and mouths on? They use them in restaurants - why don't they use them at a sit down dinner
at someone's home? I checked the tablecloth, they didn't
use that as a napkin. Their sleeves? I didn't check their sleeves.
I took 14 cloth napkins out of their holders and re-washed them this morning. #15 was used - it was mine. I don't get it.

Maybe they were afraid to use them , stains and all , didn't want to ruin them for you

maybe your guests were of the sleeve-wiping or lip-smacking variety. They may have thought that your pretty linens were too purdy to wipe their mouths. OR they only dabbed daintily so as not to make the nappy dirty.

have you thought that maybe your meal was just so delicious that they licked their mouths clean! :lol:

I would love to come to your home and use cloth napkins!

My DS has made me some and I have fabric to make more.

I'm not sure why folks don't use them, but I was at a dinner two weeks ago, and I was the first out of 15 + ladies who took my napkin and opened it to my side and then placed on my lap. When I needed to dab my mouth, I did so even tho I was wearing purdy red lipstick.

I cannot begin to tell you how many ladies watched me open the napkin, place on my lap, then look at their napkin as in awe, opened and placed it on their lap. However, I was the only one to gently gather and place at the left of my plate when finished.

Basic table manners apparantly have gone the wayside. I love to eat at fancy places so I can use my manners. Oh well!

Good thing you didn't have a seven course meal with all of the silverware. :roll: :roll: :oops:

Maybe they were afraid to get the nice cloth napkins dirty :lol:

Maybe they were just tidy eaters..

Yes, I did think of that. And then decided "No, that's not it"

ah, er, no, that's not it.
Not tidy eaters

Okay, maybe they'd never seen a genuine cloth napkin before and didn't know what they were supposed to be used for. Next time I'd lay them across their empty plates and paste a stickem note on each one with instructions.

Thanks, clothfiend, sounds like a plan.

Always happy to help :-)

I feel guilty getting something that nice/pretty stained LOL even knowing that is what it is there for :roll:

LOL...so true so true
I use napkins properly even if they are paper...We use the "good" napkins with matching tablecloth when we are having guests for dinner.
Yes, basic table manners have gone by the wayside...I blame society as a whole.

I had that problem here, till I wrap the silverware with the napkin, they have to unwrap it to use it, and I tell them, they are meant to be used.

We use cloth napkins all the time, even if we are having a tray on the lap kind of meal. Surprises some newer houseguests, but they "get it" eventually. Just give 'em really sticky, saucy ribs!

Only for special days we use linnen napkins, for normal days we use paper clothes from Ikea.

But I agree that you can eat that way you don't have to use napkins at all. If I eat somewhere and thee are no napkins than I must eat very neat, so I don't have to use a napkin, because I don't want to put my mouth to my sleeves. (I doesn't work if there are chickenwings served!!!)

I feel your pain, my husband will use any cloth napkin any where any time except at home where he wants a paper towel. Go figure. I continue to put cloth napkins out, if he wants a paper towel, he can get it himself. I have caught him wiping his finger on the placemat. Had too many discussions with same result so I just keep mum about it.

I use cloth napkins if we are having a sit down dinner. But when this crowd gets together, there are too many to sit down in the dinning room, so we eat buffet. Then I just buy the large paper dinner napkins, and they work great! And I don't have to go all over the house finding the real ones LOL

well, my friends use them, and make them for every holiday we have. They got me started this year..i made 8 for thanksgiving for my SIL. she was hosting the dinner.
i also made 25 of them for my young,under 7,neices and nephews,
(in the same family), and i did them all with an I-spy square in the center..thinking they could and would use them all year! they turned out so cute! i will see if i can find the picture to post...

I'm back to using cloth napkins, Roy and his son didn't like cloth napkins. Roy would get up to get a paper towel every time. I couldn't retrain them, I tried, I tried so hard. My Roy was the redneck use the sleeve man, but his son is the "how do I know a cloth napkin is clean" type. It wasn't just at my house the twerp was like that he was the same with his own mother. But my boys grew up know how to use a cloth napkin and are now quite well trained. :lol:

I'm afraid that if I tried to use cloth napkins, my hubby would never let me wash it..... :D :hunf:

My family is so used to using our 'family heirloom' napkins (also known as paper towels) that I'm not sure they would know what to do with real cloth napkins.

renee my husband had a good laugh at this as he says I spend too much time in the kitchen and why aren't we using the "good china" (paper plates). Thank goodness he doesn't want to use the "good silverware".

We use paper napkins for day to day, but I like cloth for a sit down meal. I have, and use, some linen ones that were my granny's...and she has has been gone for over 30 yrs!!!

We use paper towels for everyday too (too funny, DH rips them in half and gives us each half- oh well)

For Christmas I put out red ones and green ones, and rolled them up in tiny grapevine wreaths. They looked so pretty on the table! I'm going to try again next Christmas!! Or
maybe I'll just put the paper ones in the wreaths - gee whizz.........

LMBO that may be an idea :D:D:D

Sorry for this question but I don't understand. What is: "a sit down meal?"

In our home, that would be having the food set on the table in serving bowls and passed around for each person to help themselves. Everyone gets to sit together and enjoy the meal and each others' company.

Another thing I "don't get"....when I have company coming, I always set out "company" hand towels beside the sink. Invariably, I will put them away...unused....after my company leaves. So...why would they use another towel hanging on a rack...NOT beside the sink?

Patti

Maybe someone snuck in and got some paper towels when you weren't looking????? Yes, the use of good table manners has gone by the wayside....I blame the schools!!! They don't teach stuff like that in home ec any more....in fact, some schools don't even HAVE home ec!!!!!

I have the fancy napkin holders and I do put the paper napkins in the holders just for fun. If I'm feeling "upper crusty", I put the table cloth on along with matching napkins in holders and have a fancy table...lasts about 30 mins... I have to use my table as a prep table and table cloths with finery don't mix with food prep. Sigh... oh well it's a dream...

Oh, please don't blame the schools! We have a lot on our plates there, so to speak... Seriously, have you seen a lunchroom? The kids eat there with a few adults monitoring (walking around for general crowd control) but without an adult sitting at each table with them and giving them manners' advice.
I received my manners-training from my Mom. I can't eat without a napkin in my lap, just feels wrong. Not to mention that, I do use a napkin.

Sorry, I don't think you can blame schools. I think it is a parent's responsibility to teach kids manners and to model and expect those manners to be used at home and when out and about. Even if the kids are taught formal etiquette in school in some class, it is probably in one semester class for a couple of lessons. Not gonna stick in the real world unless the parents push those lessons at home. And I do think schools should offer home ec and every kid should take it, but unfortunately with the push these days from colleges, this is usually a low priority for most kids. I guess that leaves us parents to expose our kids to these things!

We use both, I have ones that don't require ironing...last month my daughter had a party w/50 people and she used a paper towel holder in the bathroom, because of the flu scare...I thought that was a really good idea...

We have always used cloth napkins. The paper ones are for "looks"- same with the paper towels. My family knows I cringe when they use something that has to be thrown away. They all know how to use the cloth napkins and my daughter delights in folding them in different ways to make the table look special.

Oh- paper towels- they are only allowed a half a sheet. I especially don't like them being used. They even joke about it- quick use it before Mom knows you have it!

Yes, I agree...don't put the whole blame on the schools. Parents need to take responsibility for training. My husband’s family said they didn't need to use or learn manners because they had enough in their name... Yes, our name is Manners.
I broke the ranks and insisted my daughters learn manners and sent them to a class on etiquette because I was afraid I would miss something and I didn't want them to embarrass themselves by not knowing proper protocol. They have thanked us because of this training they were able to know what to do when dining with international dignitaries.
Parents are responsible for children's education .... Not the institutions.

Manners are more improtant than many realize. I had a friend that, when looking to hire someone new, would take a potential candidate out to lunch. His reason? To check their table manners!!! If they didn't "pass muster", they didn't get the job. He often met with clients over a meal, so it was imprtant for his employees to know proper table manners.

I love to use cloth napkins. I have a bunch I made and make new ones whenever I see some fabric I like. I've made placemats to but we have many more cloth napkins than placemats! They are so easy to whip together and I like having a variety to choose from.

I am so glad you said that about the paper towels. I too cringe when my dh pulls off a huge sheet to clean up a spill. A cotton towel works ever so much better and doesn't fill up my garbage or landfill. My recycling drives some people nuts - I also have a mulch bin - it makes great cover for my flowers, and all those bugs just love eating away my mulch.