I used to be all about the paper napkins, but the thing is, you have to BUY those, and cloth napkins are forever. It's so much easier to wash them and reuse them (this would not be true if you had to tote your laundry somewhere to do, of course), and also they are much much better at cleaning up the kind of disasters the earthling tends to leave after his meals. So it's not so much civilization, as they actually work better. (I mean, I totally don't put them out, with a fork all nicely centered on them, or whatever - I kind of hurl them at people. I'm busy, here! TAKE A GODDAMN NAPKIN!)
But I will say that I only became converted because of Best Beloved's unholy love of cloth napkins. She kept buying them, and so I kind of felt we had to use them, and also they were always there when we ran out of paper, and - eventually I just stopped buying paper. From that experience, I would say the tricks to converting to using cloth napkins are:
1. Have several sets, of various textures and types. You will find you like some better than others. I got these reusable "paper" towels from etsy that proved to be AWESOME as cloth napkins, for example. 2. Make sure they look casual and not formal, and forgive yourself in advance for any wrinkles they might encounter. If you have to iron them before you use them, you never will. 3. Keep them handy. Somewhere you can see them and grab them easily. 4. Don't force yourself to use them. If you want, get a little lackadaisical about buying paper napkins and see what happens.
But that's only if you want to make the switch. I grew up with paper, and I'd be using paper now if cloth weren't so much easier for me. I see nothing wrong with it. At least you're sitting at a table and not eating hunched over the sink, that's my feeling on the matter.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-09 02:20 am (UTC)But I will say that I only became converted because of Best Beloved's unholy love of cloth napkins. She kept buying them, and so I kind of felt we had to use them, and also they were always there when we ran out of paper, and - eventually I just stopped buying paper. From that experience, I would say the tricks to converting to using cloth napkins are:
1. Have several sets, of various textures and types. You will find you like some better than others. I got these reusable "paper" towels from etsy that proved to be AWESOME as cloth napkins, for example.
2. Make sure they look casual and not formal, and forgive yourself in advance for any wrinkles they might encounter. If you have to iron them before you use them, you never will.
3. Keep them handy. Somewhere you can see them and grab them easily.
4. Don't force yourself to use them. If you want, get a little lackadaisical about buying paper napkins and see what happens.
But that's only if you want to make the switch. I grew up with paper, and I'd be using paper now if cloth weren't so much easier for me. I see nothing wrong with it. At least you're sitting at a table and not eating hunched over the sink, that's my feeling on the matter.