Getting the Good Tablecloth Ready for the Holidays? Wash Table Linens Detergent-Free

It's the week before the big dinner. You open the cedar chest and lift out the good tablecloth, the cream one with the woven border.

It smells a little like the drawer. There's a faint spot near one corner from last year's gravy. The cloth napkins underneath look a bit dull.

Holiday tablecloths and cloth napkins deserve better than a rushed wash. With EcoWasher® SE, you can wash table linens detergent-free. The spray hose helps you pre-treat drips first.

Short answer: Shake out crumbs, then pre-treat fresh drips with the EcoWasher® SE spray hose. Wash your tablecloths and cloth napkins on a cold, detergent-free cycle. Dry them low, and store them clean.

Why holiday linens get tricky

Table linens live a strange life. They sit folded for months, then face one long, messy evening.

Gravy drips near the turkey platter. Cranberry sauce lands on a napkin. A glass of red tips over during dessert.

After the guests leave, you're tired. The tablecloth gets bundled up and left in a corner until the weekend.

That wait is the real problem. Drips that sit overnight dry into the weave and get harder to lift.

Then the linens get washed with towels, and lint clings to every napkin. A hot dryer can set any spot that's left.

Napkins have their own quirks. They're small, so spots hide in the folds until the next time you set the table.

Storage adds one more issue. Linens put away damp or in plastic can come out smelling stale next year.

Why a detergent-free wash suits table linens

Here's how it works. EcoWasher® mixes ozone into your cold wash water before it reaches the drum. The ozone then returns to ordinary oxygen.

No detergent goes in, so nothing is left behind in the cotton or linen. You never need laundry detergent again.

Start with your home. Detergent and softener residue can make linens look dull and hold onto stale storage smells. A residue-free wash keeps fabrics soft, bright, and fresh.

Next, think about time and money. There's no measuring and no jug to buy before the holidays. That leaves more room in the budget for the meal itself.

Then there's comfort. Napkins touch faces and hands all evening. Many people skip softener too, as our fabric softener guide explains.

White linens matter at the holidays. Our post on keeping whites bright without bleach has more ideas.

Kitchen tea towels fit right in. They pick up gravy and butter all week, and they wash cold just as easily.

And for the planet, cold washes skip heating the water. Fewer plastic jugs end up in the recycling bin, too.

A holiday dinner week with EcoWasher® SE

Sunday, you pull the linens out of storage. You check each care label and set aside a lace runner marked dry-clean only.

Some pieces only come out once a year. A runner, a set of linen napkins, maybe a cloth from a grandparent.

Monday, you give the tablecloth and napkins a cold, detergent-free wash to clear the drawer smell. They come out fresh and ready.

Here's what EcoWasher® SE brings to the routine:

• Digital LCD touch-control
• Stainless auxiliary spray hose
• About 15 × 8 × 3 inches and 4 lb
• AC 100–240 V, ozone at 0.5–1.0 mg/L
• Works with city and hard or well water
• 1-year warranty with registration
• $397 sale, $597 regular

Tuesday, you dry everything on low. You smooth the tablecloth while it's still slightly damp, so ironing goes fast.

Wednesday, you set the table early. The napkins get a simple fold, and the runner goes down the center.

Thursday is the big dinner. Gravy, cranberry, and a splash of wine all land somewhere on the cloth.

You don't worry about it during the meal. The routine for later is already simple, so you stay at the table with your guests.

That night, you shake the crumbs outside. Then you aim the stainless sprayer at each fresh drip. Our post on spot-treating with the SE spray hose shows the technique.

The sprayer uses the same ozone-infused cold water as the wash. Nothing else goes on the fabric, and the spot is ready for the load.

Next, the tablecloth and napkins go in a cold, detergent-free load. You keep them apart from towels and don't overload the drum.

Friday morning, you check the spots before any heat. Then you dry low or hang the cloth on a line.

Saturday, everything is fully dry. You fold the linens into a cotton bag, ready for the next dinner. We help families make this switch, from picking a model to setting it up.

Pro, SE, or EXL for your table linens?

Every EcoWasher® is built so everyday loads never need laundry detergent again. The ladder runs Pro, then SE, then EXL. Pro is not a step down from SE; they are different feature sets.

Regular prices are $397 for Pro, $597 for SE, and $797 for EXL. See all three on our EcoWasher model comparison.

Any model can wash tablecloths and napkins cold and detergent-free. The difference is in the extras.

EcoWasher® Pro fits the home that wants the simplest laundry-first setup. There's no screen or hose to learn.

SE adds an LCD and the stainless spray hose. That makes it a natural fit for homes that host and want to pre-treat drips.

EcoWasher® EXL is commercial-strength with a 2-year warranty. It suits caterers, event rentals, restaurants, and B&Bs washing lots of linens.

Each unit serves one washer. Our guide to choosing SE, Pro, or EXL walks through each one.

Getting set up before the holidays

1. Check that your washer has a cold-water inlet you can reach.
2. Find a nearby outlet behind your washer.
3. Mount SE on the wall behind the machine.
4. Connect it to the cold-water line, using the EcoWasher setup guide.
5. Register your unit to activate the 1-year warranty.

Related reading

• Cold water laundry myths
• Pulling Out the Winter Comforters? Wash Bulky Bedding Detergent-Free
• Microfiber Cloths Not Grabbing Dust Anymore? Wash Them Detergent-Free