Do you use a tablecloth while eating?

Chris25

we use a protector and a tablecloth.

The only housework I enjoy is polishing the table with either beeswax or other suitable polish - then I cover it over

Hedgehog99

I'm using a folding picnic table at the mo, so no cloth, but I do use place mats and coasters.

Owain_Moneysaver

I used to, as it concealed the fact that the dining table used to be a door.

Don't need to any more as I cut it up and turned it into shelves.

maman

I think I agree with your DH. The only reason I can think of is that you want to save on laundry otherwise it seems odd that you don't want your table to look its best while you're eating.

We have an octagonal table. It's a beautiful wood and I've never found a cloth that hangs right. We use large place mats and other mats for serving dishes. For our daily suppers we have wipeable mats. For special occasions we have lace mats.

trailingspouse

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Basically can't decide - the heat protector and tablecloth are practical, but the dark wood looks lovely with just place-mats, cutlery, glasses and white plates.

SamsReturn

We use to use a tablecloth if it was something special, such as Christmas and the table was decorated. Now i'm here by myself i only use placemats.

LameWolf

We don't use a tablecloth, just fabric place mats. We don't have a dining table as such, we eat on the sofa with our plates on the fabric mats on our laps; and place them on the coffee table in front of us when we're done (prior to clearing away). It may sound a mite uncivilised, but our bungalow is tiny and there's not enough room for another table in the lounge; we have tried eating at the kitchen table but found it uncomfortable.
As there's only the two of us and we don't entertain, we can just please ourselves.;)

[Deleted User]

Our dining table is a pine gate leg, it's in the kitchen with one leaf up. I use a wipe able cloth on it all the time, we use place mats for meals. On a special occasions ie Christmas, I do use a special cloth, but on top of the plastic one.

Being short of work tops in our kitchen, I use the table when baking, I just have to wipe off the plastic when I have finished.

OH tends to be a bit messy, so I can just wipe the cloth, do not have to take the whole thing off and wash it. It gets wiped down after a meal whilst washing up, the mats live in the cutlery drawer.

When I was small the dining table was covered with a chenille cloth, this was removed when the table was set for a meal and put back on after the meal was finished. The legs of the table were 'bandaged' . Each Saturday morning, I had to take off the coverings, polish the legs with wax polish and buff them up, then put the bandages back. The only time the bandages were taken off were if we had visitors for a meal, or at Christmas when the family came.

sillyvixen

I have a table cloth - I use it every Christmas without fail.

katkin

I'm a runner and placemat table topper. The table is very old poss 1920-30 so not something to bake or cook on.

I like putting help yourself dishes out etc and the table extends so I can get 6 around it fine.

Alas I'll admit to having quite a few runner and mats as I make and pick them up here and there. I bought a gorgeous one in Alsace a few years back for my camping dining area ( even got a flowering plant haha) but it's so beautiful it's never been camping again. I keep to cheap ikea for the camping dinner parties hahah.

They wash and dry up really quick.