The Ultimate Guide: How to Clean Placemats
It is essential to understand how to clean placemats, whether you are an event planner or an honored hostess. In the bustling ambiance of a lively party or even your everyday experience, it is too often that placemats must brave a series of spills, stains, wear, and tear. While maintaining an inviting dining and entertaining space, it is clear placemats enhance table settings and shield surfaces from damage, ensuring proper maintenance and preservation of your table décor for a long time.
As a renowned tastemaker and leading designer of table settings, Kim Seybert knows every nuance of how to clean placemats for all different types of materials, ranging from the delicate intricacies of woven placemats to the effortless easy-care of vinyl placemat variations. This insider guide will provide expert knowledge that can solve every sudden spill and achieve optimal results for the quality care of the most premium placemats.
Your Quick Tips for Placemat Maintenance 
What is the first step for cleaning every placemat? Start by shaking off your placemats to avoid getting debris embedded in the materials. Another effective fix is immediately addressing spills to prevent stains from setting. The final key component is understanding when to apply a gentle machine wash, a quick wipe with a damp cloth, a targeted spot-cleaning, or delicate handwashing. With these tailored practices, you can keep all types of placemats pristine for every meal.
How to Clean Fabric Placemats
Some of the most fashion-forward placemats feature soft and versatile fabrics, including cotton, linen, and silk, such as the Artisanal Placemat or the Dream Weaver Placemat. While these fabrics are elegant and suitable for even the most formal setting, these materials can require more attention and care.
The best way to spot clean placemat stains is to create a lather with mild dish soap. Then, you can soak the placemats in warm, soapy water. After about 10 minutes, it is time to use a soft sponge and lightly scrub the surface. After gently removing excess water, you can lay the placemats flat on a towel to dry, avoiding direct sunlight to prevent fading.
How to Clean Plastic and Vinyl Placemats
Ideal for outdoor entertaining and households with children, our plastic and vinyl placemats are easy to use and could not be easier to clean, whether it is the Marine Placemat, the Azure Placemat, or the Cloud Placemat. With water-resistant and durable materials, our main advice is to wipe off the plastic and vinyl placemats on a routine basis. Of course, it is best to avoid abrasive scrubbing since even acrylic can scratch on rare occasions.
How to Clean Specialty Placemats 
Always on trend, Kim Seybert placemats often feature range of designs with the technique of meticulous hand-beading, as seen in the Coral Spray Placement, the Belize Placemat, and others. Ready for our best-kept secret for how to spot-clean these unique pieces? Try adding a soft toothbrush to your toolbox for extra polishing without the risk of damage. Especially for placemats with these embellishments, you will benefit from incorporating light brushing while handwashing with cold water and mild detergent and laying the pieces flat to air dry.
Reliable Stain Removal Tips 
It is time to get specific with solid advice for every type of spill during those emergency scenarios. When in doubt, our go-to product is Carbona Stain Devils.
For stains from acidic foods like tomato sauce, ketchup, and mustard, you will achieve the best results by rinsing spills within an hour to prevent the stain from penetrating materials and causing permanent discoloration.
When the stain is oil-based, it can be very stubborn. Another great approach is to blend mild soap or dishwashing liquid with warm water. You can also enhance this simple solution by adding a small portion of vinegar to cut through grease without damaging the material.
If you are stuck with the hassle of an unexpected wine spill, try blotting with dish soap, rinsing under cold running water, and then letting the placemat air dry. For more information, check out our full tutorial on how to clean wine stains.
Proper Maintenance and Storage 
While storing your placemats, you can consider wrapping each item in acid-free tissue paper to prevent creasing and damage. To prevent fading and material degradation, the best place to store your placemats is in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, such as a drawer or closet.
It helps to avoid storing in damp areas to prevent mold and mildew, especially for natural fiber woven placemats like jute or rattan. Instead, opt for a dark, dry space like a linen closet. Or, if there is space for hanging the placemats, you might also use padded or roller hangers to preserve their shape and prevent creasing.
Ensure that storage containers are clean and lined with non-acidic materials to protect against discoloration and damage. By organizing and caring for your placemats properly, they will remain functional and beautiful for several years and many dining occasions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wash placemats in the washing machine?
Usually, it is not ideal to use washing machines for placemats made from sensitive materials. Even for most cloth or linen table placemats, we recommend hand-washing the placemats. Of course, we aim to create products prepared for anything. If you must clean a placemat in a washing machine, try machine-washing on a delicate cycle, separately with mild detergent.
Can placemats go in the dishwasher?
Please do not wash plastic placemats in dishwashers since the heat can release harmful chemicals like phthalates. Instead, we suggest cleaning plastic placemats by mixing white vinegar and lukewarm water as a safe alternative to dishwashers and harsh detergents.
Is there a good way to get old stains out of placemats?
If you are dealing with a stubborn stain, one classic remedy is a mixture of baking soda and water. For less severe stains, you can always stick to the classic trick of directly applying mild dish soap while letting it sit for several minutes before rinsing the placemat.
