Napkins & Napkin Rings

How To Fold And Care For Your Cloth Napkins

Having some cloth napkins on your dinner table looks incredibly fancy and elegant. You can also reuse them in the future, which makes their appeal even better. But how do you fold cloth napkins? And what is the best way to maintain them? Read on to find out everything you need to know about your new cloth napkins.

How Do I Fold Cloth Napkins?

There are literally hundreds of ways to fold napkins, which you will soon discover. There are folds enabling your to put your napkins straight on the plate, while others just elegantly lay over. You can even find folds you can put in a wine glass. The options are truly limitless.

Once you start browsing online, you will find an impossible amount of folds. It is important to remember that some are more complicated than others. However, if you are looking for an easy one to start with, the pyramid tends to be the easiest one.

Start by laying your cloth napkin in front of you and fold it in half diagonally. Then, turn the napkin so the fold faces you. Then, take the right corner and place it on the top corner. Next, do the same with the left side. Your napkin now looks like a diamond.

Once you have your diamond shape, turn the entire napkin over and keep the closed end facing you. Then, fold the napkin in half again towards you. Turn over again and make sure the open ends keep facing you.

Now for the final step! Fold your napkin slightly in the centre. Now, you have a pyramid shape! If the pyramid napkin will not stand on its own, use a little starch for maximum effect.

How Do I Maintain My Napkins?

Many people hold off on obtaining cloth napkins because they believe they won't get them as clean once they have been used. To ensure you can keep your cloth napkins as pristine as the day you have obtained them, take a look at our steps below. Please note, these steps are for linen napkins. If you have napkins made from another fabric, you may need to adjust your cleaning method.

Cleaning mixture: We do not recommend putting your napkins in the washing machine. However, washing them by hand is completely fine. For maximum cleaning power, we recommend a delicate mixture of laundry soap, water, and just a little bit of bleach. If you do not want to use bleach, you can use an alternative that is more friendly to the environment.

Mixing: Before you add a linen napkin to your cleaning solution, always make sure that the cleaning solution is properly mixed. When bleach or an equivalent product is not diluted with water properly, it could leave some nasty stains on your cloth napkins.

Gentle wash: Once you are happy with your cleaning mixture, you can place the napkins in the cleaning solution. Gently rub the linen fabric with the cleaning solution. Check the napkins for stains and repeat this process until they are completely clean. Once they are completely clean, squeeze out as much of the cleaning solution as possible and place your linen napkins in a safe place.

Rinse: To prevent damage to the linen material, it is essential to rinse your linen napkins thoroughly. Fill the sink or a suitable tub with clean water. Then, place your napkins in the water and move them around gently. Make sure each of your napkins are completely free of soap before you take them from the water.

Please note that the water can become very soapy if you are washing several cloth napkins. If you find that the water is becoming too soapy, empty your sink out again and refill with clean water before you rinse another napkin.

Air dry: Surprisingly, you can put linen napkins in the dryer, but you should never put them on a high temperature or put them in a dryer with other fabrics. However, if you want to avoid premature damage, we recommend leaving your linen napkins to air dry. Before you let your napkins dry, do not wring out the napkins. A gentle squeeze is all that is required and won't damage the material.