What is an Acrylic Coated Tablecloth?
Acrylic coating a tablecloth is a way to make a cotton or linen piece more resistant to every day life! Practical for everyday family meals, both very easy to clean and attractive, coated tablecloths are ideal for everyday use, in the kitchen or dining room as well as on a terrace or in a garden.
Although available from a number of companies, my post is going to focus on Le Jacquard Francais's coated products -- with their wide range of multi colored and patterned options. Le Jacquard Francais's cotton tablecloths are coated with a thin layer of acrylic, like a second skin, which makes them water-repellent and stain-resistant.
Le Jacquard Francais (LJF) has been a presence in the luxury table cloth market for over 130 years. Located in the eastern region of France, in Gerardmer, they have been pioneering techniques for linens for years. Not only do they do the coated in a number of tablecloth sizes, they also have matching coated runners and placemats. And not always that obvious, the matching napkins are not coated.
People frequently ask me if the acrylic coating looks shiny or if it has a vinyl look to it. We put the regular cotton and the coated cotton tablecloths right next to each other on our display shelves and my clients can only tell the difference by touch. That being said, the drape on a coated tablecloth will never be as soft looking as one that's 100% cotton.
I have two of the LJF coated tablecloths that are frequently in use at our home. One covers the antique table in our dining room to protect it from everyday usage (read husband). The second one I use outdoors on our extra long patio table for entertaining. We frequently have up to 12 guests and with all the clean up, all I have to do is wipe the tablecloth with a sponge to clean it. I bought matching napkins, which are not coated of course, and those go in the laundry basket. To tell the truth, in the 3-4 years I've owned these two tablecloths I have never laundered them. And the one I use on the patio takes a beating every time -- including red wine that comes right out!
Coated tablecloths are easy to maintain on a daily basis wiped with a wet sponge on the coated outer surface. Machine washing should only be done once a year or so to ensure the acrylic coating does not get compromised. One of my friends bought his partner a coated tablecloth to protect the table from her grandchildren. Unfortunately, she did not read the directions and washed it so often that it was no longer protective.
Do not use stain removers or bleach. Ironing should be done on the wrong side with strong steam. Although water repellant and stain resistant -- you do need to realize that excessive heat could harm your coated tablecloth as well as the table underneath. Do not place a hot pan or dish straight out of the oven directly on the tablecloth. To preserve the coating it is advisable not to leave the tablecloth outdoors after use; although mine is under a covered patio and I occasionally do leave it out for several days.
Le Jacquard Francais sanctions a 20% off sale on their table linens twice a year. Now thru April 21st you can save on both coated and non coated table linens!
