Why Cloth Cocktail Napkins Are a Brilliant Choice
Every host wants to make a good lasting impression on their guests, which is one of the reasons people pull out the nicer plates, the nicer tablecloth, and the nicer wine glasses when they entertain. To dial up the style quotient of a cocktail party, high-quality cloth cocktail napkins are a minimal-effort and high-impact choice.
Cloth cocktail napkins are luxurious
Since small beverage napkins are usually handled for longer than a dinner napkin, having napkins that are soft and smooth to the touch becomes more important. High-quality cloth napkins are elegant and add an unexpected twist of sophistication to any party that I bet any discerning guest would notice and talk about.
Making an impression is the bonus, though, because there are other practical reasons to switch from paper napkins to cloth napkins for a cocktail party. Read on!
Cotton and linen cocktail napkins are durable
Cocktail napkins made from cotton or linen are absorbent and, unlike paper napkins, will not turn mushy if they happen to get saturated or disintegrate if rubbed. Of course, cloth cocktail napkins are not intended to be used for cleaning up big messes, but mishaps happen and it's always good to be prepared.
I know people think cloth cocktail napkins would be tedious to use, but they really are not. 100% cotton beverage napkins actually do not wrinkle as much as, say, linen, and you can skip the ironing part. Just pull out of the dryer, stack, and store. Any small wrinkles will work themselves out or give the napkins are more relaxed, rustic look.
Need a put a glass down? A cloth cocktail napkin makes a handy coaster. A thicker cocktail napkin would, of course, offer more protection than a thin, dainty one.
Don't want to use plates at all for small bites? Cloth napkins are great alternative. They won't fall apart as easily as paper napkins and, in a sense, are less cumbersome than plates.
Cloth napkins can be an eco-friendly choice
The most salient property of cloth cocktail napkins is their potential to be more sustainable than paper napkins. I highlight potential because the calculation is not simple as it might appear; it depends on what material is used to make the napkin (flax, cotton, organic cotton, polyester, paper, recycled paper) and how many times the cloth napkin is used in place of a paper napkin.
Most cloth napkins cost more up front than paper napkins, but reusing them many times gets more value for your money and increases their eco-friendliness. Furthermore, using cloth cocktail napkins means less waste going to the landfill and that's always a good green move.