I'm really considering buying myself some cloth napkins. I hate eating without having a napkin so I end up using one disposable napkin for each meal, plus the ones that the rest of the family uses..it adds up. I was wondering which ones were better to use...white or colored? Would white ones stain to much or would they be easier to use because you can bleach them. I don't normally use bleach when washing, except for the rare thing so it might be more wasteful having to run a small load, just for the napkins. With the colored ones, I would just throw in with the towels. What do you ladies use?

White...I'm not a fan of colored napkins, whether they're paper or fabric.

I personally use black cloth napkins for everyday use. For more formal occasions I have blue cotton ones and some white linen ones with crocheted edging.

I have gone to white washcloths instead of paper towels because I can bleach them clean...they still stain but mostly the kids use them and they don't really notice ...if I were going to use cloth for company though I would want some that didn't have stains...so I would probably either save some back for only special occasions that were not stained or I would buy a dark color...we haven't gone to cloth napkins yet....but I have had thoughts...we go through a ton of napkins and they are not as cheap as they used to be! We were able to kick the paper towel habit pretty easily...so maybe napkins will be next??

Thanks.

I went with white, thinking I could bleach them, but they do still stain over time with kids! Of course, the kids don't even notice, so they are still usable for every day. But I do have some colored ones as well that were given to me, dark colors, and they have not had any stains!! So I would definitely recommend the colors and throw them in with a larger load!!

OK this is going to sound strange but I go with white because it will not take away from the look of the food. When I have people over to dinner I want them to see beauitful food not the things around it.

We have some that are part of a set to match the tablecloth that we use for special occasions.
For every day use, we have some odd ones that don't go with anything. I don't care if they match each other, or if they have a few stains that I couldn't get out.

Hydrogen peroxide will remove most food stains if they haven't gone through the dryer. Once stains go through the dryer, they often become permanent.

__________________
When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!
Any time God closes one door, She always opens another, even though sometimes it's Hell in the hallway.
Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die. (Klingon proverb)
Don't point. You'll poke holes in the air and all the faeries will escape.

Interesting thread. I was thinking about making some in some cute holiday prints for the various holidays but then thinking about it that would sure be a lot of napkins in storage most of the year. I was thinking that a pattern would help hide some stains but it sounds like most think white is the way to go. I wish I could find a large lot of these at a restaurant supply store - I know I have seen them but hate to make a trip and find out they are more than I would like to pay but no way I will pay retail for them either. I really need to just break out the sewing machine and go for it. Problem is I am not much of a sewer.

Ours are Navy Blue. They wash beautifully and don't show the stains.

__________________
Mom to dd (age 9) and ds (age 11)
blogging daily about purpose and personal identity