DII Basic Buffet Napkin Set of 6, Blue Market Theme

Price: About $16
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours
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Reviewer: Mark Lamendola

I  have a very strong preference for natural fibers, such as the cotton these are made of (109%). I absolutely will not allow polyester (all the rage now as "microfiber") in my kitchen or dining room.

Why? Aside from how bad polyester smells to me, the main issue is that when polyester melts on skin it actually melts into the skin and that can make a very serious burn out of what would otherwise be a very minor burn. Polyester is prohibited apparel in electrical work for that very reason. Do not use microfiber anywhere near electricity or heat sources.

Not all cotton cloth is the same. In fact, there are wide variations in quality. When I look at a cotton cloth, I test its weight and examine the weave. This is a light weight fabric, not the heavier weight that you would find in a cloth napkin at a "coat and tie" restaurant. But that is to be expected because of how these are priced (well below the price of formal cloth napkins) and positioned (for casual dining situations). How light is the fabric? Well, if you hold one up toward the overhead light you will see some light come through. Yet, they are heavy enough to feel substantive. Gently wad one up and you feel resistance in so doing. If one of these were a shirt, I would guess it to be a 6lb material. I think this is about right for the intended use. Much heavier, and the napkins would feel too formal.

This set is themed in blue, and there are three patterns (two napkins in each pattern). While we generally like to have everything match in a set, for example our dishes are in a set where they all look the same, having this variety fits the casual theme. If you have one guest, then two people can have the same pattern. Or not. If you have six guests, then you can make things a bit more festive. If you're dead set on having all table settings have the same napkin, then at this price point the obvious solution is to buy a second or third set of these.

I said earlier that I wadded one of these up. One of the tests of a material is how well it recovers from wadding. I wadded one then flipped it out to unwadded. Not a single wrinkle. So, a good fabric.

Each napkin is also hemmed all the way around, and I checked out that stitching very closely. It's a "straight stitch," nothing fancy. But nothing fancy is needed.

These napkins are bright and attractive. They can liven up a table setting. I'm really happy with how these dress out a setting on my dining table.

The manufacturer correctly says not to dry these on high heat. Why people do that to anything that come out of their clothes washer, I have no idea. That practice damages the fibers and it's totally unnecessary. For all of your cloth items, be they napkins, towels, bedding, pants, or shirts, follow these two tips and you will quadruple how long those items last:

1. Don't use the recommended amount of detergent or soap when washing; it's way, way too much. Typically, people can cut back to about 20% of the recommended amount and their clothes will come out even cleaner. But use a good product from the organics aisle, not the smelly, chemical-laden stuff in the consumer aisle. And never use "fabric softener" as it's actually quite gross (read the label).
2. Don't dry them completely in the clothes dryer. This is true for all fabrics. That degree of drying actually damages the material. So does high heat. Always dry on the lowest setting and remove while still slightly damp. Let them air dry.