AIBU to buy some tablecloths for daily use?

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Does any one do this? I love the idea of setting the table with a tablecloth and cloth napkins. Is it as simple as I imagine? You can just throw them in with the wash if they get dirty.

They're not that expensive and I feel could be a one off investment in nicer family meals?

What do you think?

It was done everywhere I lived in Italy.

I think you'll be doing a lot of laundry and your nerves will suffer every time someone spills something or picks up the ketchup bottle 😬

It’s pretty common to use a tablecloth & napkins on a daily basis. If you like the idea, do it.

I’ve been toying with the idea recently.
We always put one on at Christmas, even if it’s just us, but it then tends to be on there for a couple of days until we wash and put it away again. It’s amazing how quickly, after the table cloth is removed, the table becomes a dumping ground again.
DM always had a table cloth on when we were little.

@Honeyroar

It was done everywhere I lived in Italy.

Can you tell me about the logistics? Is it as simple as it seems?

@PostThenGhost

I’ve been toying with the idea recently. We always put one on at Christmas, even if it’s just us, but it then tends to be on there for a couple of days until we wash and put it away again. It’s amazing how quickly, after the table cloth is removed, the table becomes a dumping ground again. DM always had a table cloth on when we were little.

Any idea on how often she'd need to change it?

Any idea on how often she'd need to change it?

Depends on what you were serving & how messy your family are tbh.

Spag bol & a 3 year old & it would need changing straight away.
Older teens & adults only house could probably last a few days.

Would they need ironing? 😱

I use an oil cloth which can be wiped clean. I love the idea of real cloth but until the children are older it's wipe clean all the way here!

I have a plain wooden table in the kitchen and a fancy wood table in the dining room. The kitchen table gets used for breakfasts and lunches and just needs a wipe down but we eat at the dining table every evening and use a table cloth. It's rare that it lasts more than two days. So your laundry will definitely increase.
This is with three adults. When DC were little it needed changing every day.

I have them though I don't use the cloth napkins daily

@RiverSkater

Would they need ironing? 😱

I use an oil cloth which can be wiped clean. I love the idea of real cloth but until the children are older it's wipe clean all the way here!

I'd imagine they would need to be ironed? Maybe laying one fresh from the dryer would help

Nothing needs ironing. I have never ironed a table cloth.

We always have a tablecloth on the table. And napkins. Tkmaxx are great for them in cotton or linen ones as are ikea. Just throw them in the wash like you do anything else.

Always a tablecloth on the table here and a cloth pot holder for the teapot and cloth napkins, so easy to wash!

We bought a long kitchen table when we moved recently, and I had the same idea.

I don’t know what on earth I was doing wrong, but they all shrank! I was washing them on cool, they weren’t tumble dried, they were 100% cotton and bought from “good” shops. And the stains wouldn’t come out.

Overall if it’s just for you and DH, I’d say go for it, I love a tablecloth, but if you’ve got young kids - no. They look awful as soon as they’re messy/stained and if you eat around the table several times a day need changing a lot.

In the end I went to Closs and Hamblin and got them to cut me a length of PVC for one - ready to use straight away, it doesn’t stain, you can wipe it down, they had a really good selection and it doesn’t look naff.

I’ll still aim for “proper” cloths for Easter and Christmas, but while I’ve got a toddler it’s just not worth the work of linen tablecloths.

She passed away a good few years ago now but I'm sure my DGM used to have a thick clear plastic cover over her cloth table cloth to protect it. Not sure if it'd look naff by today's standards

My mum sets the table every single night without fail, always has. It really isn't a big job if you have everything in its place and you sort out a routine.

We have a tablecloth, no napkins though.

They get replaced when they become dirty.

We have a wide fabric table runner on for a month around Christmas. It’s a really nice half way house but doesn’t need washing usually as you don’t actually eat over it…..

I sell tablecloths, but not many. They're not really a thing anymore. Table runners are taking off though.

It was a long time ago, but from what I remember it was pretty simple. The tablecloth was changed when needed. Everyone had a specific napkin holder and their napkin was put back in the holder at the end of the meal and got put back when the table was set for the next meal. They were usually changed every couple of days. (I never used to like that but, I’d have preferred a clean one each meal, or daily at the least).

I use a table cloth it is nice and colourful and only needs washing every few days/ weekly or