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Cork Placemats

JustJulie | Dec 30, 2010 |

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You might have heard that cork is considered a green building material. This durable yet flexible material is found in all sorts of home furnishings ranging from flooring to coasters, bulletin boards and even placemats to spruce up your table settings. While you probably are familiar with the tan color of natural cork, don't think that you're limited to that when it comes to placemats. Visit any home decor store and you'll find a variety of placemats decorated with colorful prints and designs. Some of these mats don't even look like cork due to the entire surface being stained or painted.

While the wide variety of designs available in cork placemats are a good reason to pick up a set for your home, there's also another good reason to choose cork. The material is durable enough to withstand high temperatures and it will protect your table and countertops from any heat damage that can be caused by hot pots and pans. You can pick up a few extra placemats to use as trivets and ensure that your table settings match perfectly. If your placemats prevent even one scorched mark, water ring or another marr on your tabletop, they've more than paid for themselves.

Another benefit to using cork placemats is that they're easy to take care of clean. After each use you can simply wipe down the placemats with a damp cloth and any food or beverage spilled on them will slide right off. This is due to the clear acrylic layer on top of most cork placemats. It seals the absorbant and pourous cork and creates a smooth, slick surface that almost nothing will stick to. This means that you can set your table with confidence, even if you're expecting small children for dinner or guests with less than stellar table manners.

Cork placemats seems like a natural choice with their many benefits. They're good for their environment because they're a renewable material, they protect surfaces from hot pans just like a trivet or potholder and they're easy to wipe clean ever after the messiest eaters get done with them. In addition to all of that cork placemats also come in many attractive styles so you're sure to find something that works well in your home's existing decor.