Art, Like Bread: Ten Reasons to Take a Cloth Napkin (Hen House Linens Product Review)

Full Disclosure:

I received a set of dinner napkins

from Hen House Linens (& I love them)!

How many of you grab a couple of extra napkins every time you're at your favorite coffee house? I've definitely been guilty of that one, but let's stop to think about it. There are numerous environmental reasons that using cloth napkins is preferable to paper ones. Aside from saving trees, you're also saving water used in the manufacture of paper napkins.

Truthfully, there is a reason that paper napkins are so ubiquitous. They are convenient, useful, and you can easily just throw them away. However unfortunately, they don't really go away. According to Organic Authority, landfills are stuffed with 3,000 tons of paper tissue products daily. This produces harmful greenhouse gasses.

Source: US National Archives, Wil Blanche, 1973 via Flickr Commons

A 1970's landfill. Yuck.

And think about it, isn't it kind of charming to pull a brightly-colored, soft cloth napkin out of your pocket rather than grabbing for that dull, brown paper one?

I got that adorable napkin as a sample from Hen House Linens. True, you can easily make your own cloth napkins, but I really like these for a few reasons. I've had them a while now, and they have stayed crisp and colorfast through several washings. They've also got some adorable patterns for Spring 2013 right now and they come out with new ones every season.

Gorgeous, right? Image source: Hen House Linens

Using a cloth napkin need not be unsanitary. Get a stack of at least six. Stow two in the car, two in your purse, two in your desk drawer, etc. The idea is to always keep a few with you to use. When you're done, stash them in a dedicated plastic bag and throw them in with a laundry so you always have fresh ones. You needn't use cloth napkins only for mealtimes.

Here are ten other great reasons to pack a cloth napkin (or two) daily.

1) Blot your face on a hot day.
2) Wrap your coffee cup.
3) Clean up your eye makeup.
4) Store your leftover cookie inside.
5) Dry your hands after you wash them.
6) Blot your lipstick.
7) Use it if you get the sniffles.
8) Avoid touching the dirty gas pump. Wrap it with your napkin instead.
9) Tie something onto your handbag with it to remain hands free. (See photo below.)
10) Clean the dust off your dashboard.