Review of Lenox Simply Fine Napkins, Set of 4

Some months ago we decided to up the elegance, i.e. upgrade from paper towel "napkins" to cloth napkins. But I was quite sure that I didn't want to start accumulating little nests of cloth that require ironing, so these napkins were among the first I bought.

Out of the box, it was clear the the long threads in the weave would snag on about anything, including dry hands (not unusual in places where the humidity is pretty low). The slick texture reminded me more of a shower curtain fabric than of table linen; in fact, these napkins successfully repel water. It happens, though, that I prefer kitchen linens -- all of them -- to be able to absorb water instead of repelling it.

I'm one of those Mrs Fussypants-types who launders napkins and place mats after each use, so these have toured the washing machine a number of times already. Laying them out to dry flat seemed to encourage puckering, so my routine has been to dry them on low temperature for just a few minutes and then lay them flat to dry. Even at that, I consider touch up ironing a necessity. This being the case, it has been easy to lean toward fabrics that have at least some cotton. If ironing has to be done (and in middle age I'm discovering that I like *simple* ironing like napkins and pillow cases!), I might as well do it for a cause that feels better in the hand than these do.

It disappointed me considerably that after just a couple of uses, one of the napkins picked up a stain (fat-based, I would guess)that cannot be budged. I'm having far better luck maintaining napkins such as Waterford Table Wiltshire 21 by 21-Inch Napkin Set of 4, Pomegranate/Gold, which have only 40% polyester.

One last thought. These napkins measure about 18"x18". The Waterfords noted above are 21"x21". That doesn't sound like a big difference, but the math will show you these are 117 square inches smaller than the Waterfords. If there are four of you at table, it means that the smaller size provides 3.25 LESS square feet of napkin coverage. Cloth napkins are a case where I think bigger is almost always better.

Why isn't this a one star review? There isn't much I like about these, but the product seems safe and what strikes me as off -- slick texture, for instance -- might be someone else's happy day. If I can make progress on those spots, these will probably end up at St Vinnie's, which I never do with a product that I deemed unsafe.

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Product Description:
Dine elegantly with Lenox's Simply Fine woven microfiber damask table linens. This damask tablecloth program features a woven dobby pattern. Made from 54-percent cotton and 46-percent microfiber polyester, the tablecloth is machine washable and dry with no heat. Use of a cool iron for touch up care may be needed. The coordinating collection includes runners, placemats, and napkins for full accessorizing.

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