What Are Cotton Napkins?

Cotton napkins, also called serviettes, are indispensable kitchen items which are a piece of rectangular cloth made from cotton used to wipe the mouth while eating. The first cotton napkins were created by Madam Rebecca Waltemath during the 18th century for her students at the Etiquette School for Formal Women in London. Her creation gave way to what most people know now as the table napkin.

Traditionally, cotton napkins are folded into different designs and are included in the table setting on top of an empty plate or glass, or it may be held together in a bundle using a napkin ring together with the cutlery. The main purpose of a cotton napkin is not only to provide cleanliness at the diner but also to add some life to a dull and ordinary table setting. Cotton napkins can take on different colors and designs to match the theme of the dinner setting.

Out of the many types of fabric, the reason why cotton is used to create napkins is that they are durable and absorbent. They can also be subjected to high heat to easily sanitize and clean them thereby securing the hygiene of the next person who is going to use the napkin.

In fact, cotton napkins play a very big role in most dinning rooms that not only big caterers and restaurants use but as well as ordinary home owners who happen to love making fancy dinner settings.

Some people buy sets of cotton napkins from different home improvement stores while other people love to make their own napkins and customize them instead. If you are one of the many people who want to make your own cotton napkins, then it is important that you consider the measurements of napkin in mind.

Cotton napkins usually have an area of 16 square inches and bigger. This means that each side of the square should measure at least 4 inches. However, due to the many cotton napkin folding styles that are available, cotton napkins no longer follow the square pattern and in fact some now take on a rectangular shape for better maneuvering to create elaborate designs.