Dumb adulting question

[MiddleClassProblem]

Soooo we have a new dining table 🎉🎊

What do you put on your dining table protection wise when dining? DM has a table protector (with extra leaves for when extended - ours is extendable too), tablecloth (cotton) and fabric placemats.

I’m not drawn to table cloths, but would I be silly to just use solid placemats and heat mats? I have no idea where a table protector would go when not in use and it seems like a lot of faff, especially if I need extra leaves too.

Whilst I love my new dining table, I have promised myself not to fall for it too hard as it will have inevitable permanent stains and scratches from living with DD...

We just use placemats. We have a runner down the m

I would just use placemats really

Middle!

I use extra mats for hot casserole dishes. I've never used a heat protector and it's still fine after 16 years. I use a tablecloth when I want to look posh 😊

I have a permanent wipe clean table cloth to protect my vintage 1970s table for when my kids are grown up and I can show it off!! I love my 70s furniture....my sister thinks I'm mental!!

DM looked at me like I was a moron for just wanting to use placemats. The table looks nice!

Do any placemat people get out bigger protections on say, a curry night? dun dun duuuuun

Normally just use placemats. If we’re having a takeaway or serving “family style” where there are a number of hot/greasy dishes people will be helping themselves to, then I use a couple of glass worktop savers that are normally in the kitchen.

You could do what my MIL does - she has a lovely big dining table, covered with a table protector. Kept in the dining room. It is NEVER used. I have been with DH for 15 years now and have NEVER eaten at that table. Neither has DH to my knowledge . Yesterday we ate there with lots of other family, there were 11 of us in total. So 6 ate in the kitchen, and 5 of us ate on a camping table in the conservatory. NOBODY MAY EAT AT THE ACTUAL DINING TABLE.

On the plus side, it’s in perfect condition

Fabric placemats or wipe clean solid placemats (glass, lacquer cork etc)?

We inherited our dining table from some friends when we moved into a house when they moved out. It's huge, and was reasonably priced when new. So although we like it we're not at all previous about it which is nice. We use table mats for plates and metal stands from Ikea for hot dishes (when I don't dish up on the kitchen). Table cloths only come out at Christmas, we have a beautiful white one which we got as a wedding present.

ThreeLeggedCat maybe they use it for other things pom bears

Obviously we're not precious rather than not previous.

I use nothing. Maybe tea towels if I’m using a hot dish to serve.
I don’t have a fantastic dining table it’s farmhousey and painted. I sand and repaint annually but the varnish I used is wipe clean.

We kept ours covered with a plastic sheet with a table cloth on top when the kids were young. Now we have place mats and heat mats.

We don’t use ours to eat at every day but when we eat at it we have a table protector and a cloth.

One alternative might be to get a glass top cut for it.

For normal meals just placemats but we do have a full size table protector which we use for bigger affairs like Christmas or if we are laying out a full buffet and we have Cotton and vinyl tablecloths for over the top.

We have a table protector under a wipe clean patterned oilcloth (the stuff you buy by the metre) as our table gets used for EVERYTHING and I'd far rather replace the cloth than the table.

NonaGrey I’m not sure how that would work with it being extendable but it’s a route I’ve not thought about.

Penisbeakerismyfavethread That’s very brave. I’m not sure I can handle it!

Before DCs we had tablemats.

Post DCs we have a thick heat resistant table protector and a UPVC tablecloth. it means we don't need to worry about burns, spills, felt tip pens, or scribbling with a pencil onto a single sheet of paper.

At Christmas, when we extend the table, we remove the thick table-protector, put down linen tablecloths, then plastic Christmas tablecloth, then Christmas mats.

After feeling on tenterhooks ourselves at BIL and watching their kids get almighty bollockings for breathing near their v expensive solid whatever fancy dining table - we have a cheapo farmhousey style one that now looks pretty beat up. I love it, and the fact that we can spill without anyone having a meltdown.

Not much help though, sorry OP. I do throw some chunky wooden chopping boards down for hot pans etc. Works for us and still looks nice. Not into anything that means more washing i.e. tablecloths.

TeenTimesTwo so no protector when extended?

I don’t see the point of a nice table if you’re going to cover it. If you must put something hot on, use heat proof mats. Plates just go directly on the table.

Only placements if it’s a casserole dish or similar. Usually nothing if it’s just serving dishes and plates.

No protector when extended because it makes a little step as it isn't big enough, and then people put wine glasses down at an angle and risk of falling.
We are just extra careful with hot things, spilling and drawing over Christmas week!

Middle Might depend of the shape of your table. If it’s rectangular then it would be quite easy to get it cut with a spare strip for the leaf.

If it’s oval it would be more difficult but you could have a glass top for everyday and then use a table protector and cloth if you are extending the table.

Getting glass cut is usually fairly easy and not that expensive.