How clean are cloth napkins at restuarants?

[her209]

When I'm eating out at fancier sit-down restaurants, they provide cloth napkins as opposed paper napkins, but how well cleaned are they?

 

[Balt]

Clean enough. I doubt many restaurants do their own laundry.

 

[Homerboy]

As clean as any towel or cloth napkin at your house.
Is this really a concern?

 

[preslove]

1 in 5 is coated with semen.

 

[zinfamous]

You don't want to know what I do with restaurant cloth napkins.

So, in summary...best to avoid them.

 

[zinfamous]

1 in 5 is coated with semen.

:sneaky:

 

[her209]

As clean as any towel or cloth napkin at your house.
Is this really a concern?

Yes. Have you ever been given a dirty fork?

 

[Homerboy]

Yes. Have you ever been given a dirty fork?

Yes I have. But even in that case, I'm going to bet heavily that the fork was at least run through the dishwasher, just that it was done so shittily.

But what exactly do you think somebody is doing with napkin that you should be worried?

Honetly, is this a "worry" of yours?

 

[Homerboy]

1 in 5 is coated with semen.

LOL
I like the choice of the word "coated"
I just picture it dripping and the OP using it to dab the corners of his mouth.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

OP, you're a grimacer aren't you? You know, the kind of customer who makes faces at everything until proven wrong? Restaurant linens are commercially laundered and occasionally stained ones slip past QC and the wait staff. They should be replaced and an apology offered but, they are clean.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Yes I have. But even in that case, I'm going to bet heavily that the fork was at least run through the dishwasher, just that it was done so shittily.

But what exactly do you think somebody is doing with napkin that you should be worried?

Honetly, is this a "worry" of yours?

Well, I do part time work and I've tried dishwashing duties. Stuff like spots on forks happen mainly if the washing line is so backed up we don't have time to do a clean rinse of the stuff that refuses to come off forks.

Technically it should be perfectly safe considering its still went through a boiling hot bath for 30 seconds.

I don't really know what the washing napkins process is like, but in my days of folding napkins, I have yet to see one that was so much as stained.

 

[her209]

Yes I have. But even in that case, I'm going to bet heavily that the fork was at least run through the dishwasher, just that it was done so shittily.

But what exactly do you think somebody is doing with napkin that you should be worried?

Honetly, is this a "worry" of yours?

I used to be a dishwasher A LOOOOOOONG time ago for a small Chinese restaurant and I ran across the occasional dirty fork even after a good wash. I honestly don't remember where the clean/dirty cloth napkins were kept because all I saw were the dishes.

 

[pontifex]

Yes I have. But even in that case, I'm going to bet heavily that the fork was at least run through the dishwasher, just that it was done so shittily.

But what exactly do you think somebody is doing with napkin that you should be worried?

Honetly, is this a "worry" of yours?

Why does it have to be that someone is doing something naughty with the napkin? could it be that he's concerned that it didn't get washed properly or at all?

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Why does it have to be that someone is doing something naughty with the napkin? could it be that he's concerned that it didn't get washed properly or at all?

But that's a case by case basis, the question is how clean napkins are at restaurants in general. Cloth napkins are usually provided at more upscale restaurants, so you can be damn sure they don't just soak it in soapy water and wring it out.

 

[Homerboy]

Why does it have to be that someone is doing something naughty with the napkin? could it be that he's concerned that it didn't get washed properly or at all?

Sure. I guess there is a chance that could happen.
Then again, there's a chance your steak fell on the floor and they just scooped it up and served it to you. Or that your waiter stuck his finger in your water and spit in your potatoes. I mean how many things are we going to worry about here?

 

[illusion88]

Restaurants send their linnen to a professional cleaning service (and it's not cheap, usually costs around 0.33$ a napkin and anywhere from $0.75 to $3.00 a table cloth) where they get cleaned and ironed. Probably pretty clean. On the flip side, most waiters will use cloth napkins as cleaning cloths before they get put into the linen bag. That's right, there is a good chance that the cloth you used to wipe your mouth with was once used to wipe the spilled juice off the floor (or the inside of a very dirty drain).

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Restaurants send their linnen to a professional cleaning service (and it's not cheap, usually costs around 0.33$ a napkin and anywhere from $0.75 to $3.00 a table cloth) where they get cleaned and ironed. Probably pretty clean. On the flip side, most waiters will use cloth napkins as cleaning cloths before they get put into the linen bag. That's right, there is a good chance that the cloth you used to wipe your mouth with was once used to wipe the spilled juice off the floor (or the inside of a very dirty drain).

This is true. I use napkins to clean up spilled juices, and all loads of crap.

 

[PhineasJWhoopee]

When I'm eating out at fancier sit-down restaurants, they provide cloth napkins as opposed paper napkins, but how well cleaned are they?

Are you looking cash in on a tummy ache?

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Yes. Have you ever been given a dirty fork?

Yes and I have eaten with it because I'm not a stupid germaphobe.

 

[PsiStar]

The better question is how many hands touched that bottle of ketchup or mustard ... & where they before? :hmm:

I like to ask that when out with a group of co-workers LOL

 

[HeavyD]

If you are that concerned just bring a container of Clorox Wipes with you and plant it in the middle of the table and you'll be fine. Or you could bring a few in a small plastic bag.

 

[DT4K]

As clean as any towel or cloth napkin at your house.
Is this really a concern?

I would say a lot cleaner.
They are washed by a professional service and I'm pretty sure they do a better job of cleaning and sanitizing than your washing machine at home.

 

[mrCide]

The better question is how many hands touched that bottle of ketchup or mustard ... & where they before? :hmm:

I like to ask that when out with a group of co-workers LOL

I've thought about that and I try not to worry about it. Generally a bottle of ketchup (only thing I really use) get's used up fairly quickly so it's not like 500 hands have touched it, although it's still kind of gross, not as gross.

The disgusting ones are the restaurants that have reusable bottles that probably never get cleaned and have months of caked hand grease/cheese/shit on them.

 

[Squisher]

That water you shower in, fish poop in it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Honestly, I never even thought about it before today. Probably will never think about it again either.