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A placemat or table mat is a covering or pad designating an individual place setting, unlike the larger tablecloth that covers the entire surface. Placemats are made from many different materials, depending on their purpose: to protect, decorate, entertain or advertise. Materials and production methods range from mass-produced and commercial, to local and traditional.


Uses

Their primary function is to protect the dinner table from water marks, food stains or heat damage. They also serve as
decoration Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Othe ...
, especially placemats made from lace or
silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...
. In restaurants, they can be used to advertise menu items, specials, local businesses or games for children. If the mat is cotton, it can absorb water and other liquids, such as spilt drinks. Higher-end placemats – made from vinyl or
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hog ...
– are used by
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
s and organizations for meetings as they provide a writing surface, and give an area on which to lean comfortably and to place objects on the table with minimal noise during meetings. Contemporary opinion on the usefulness of placemats is mixed. Cloth placemats are commonly considered to be unnecessary and require excessive upkeep - compared to the surface of a table (which can be easily cleaned), a stained placemat must be run through the washer and drier before it can be used again. Moreover, plastic placemats have drawn criticism on environmental grounds.Saferchemicals.org
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See also

* Tablecloth * Doily *
Beverage coaster A coaster, drink coaster, beverage coaster, or beermat is an item used to rest drinks upon. Coasters protect the surface of a table or any other surface where the user might place a glass. Coasters on top of a beverage can also be used to show th ...
*
Marghab Linens Marghab Linens Ltd. was a company specialising in table linens founded on Madeira in 1933 by British Cypriot Emile Marghab and his South Dakotan wife Vera (''née'' Way); and disestablished in 1980. The company was also known as Emile Marghab Inc. ...
- a mid-20th-century company historically renowned for fine-quality table linen. * Neatnik Saucer * '' The Dinner Party'' – an artwork depicting unique dinner place settings for a group of notable women from history


References

Serving and dining Linens Domestic implements {{furniture-stub