The Best Things for Covering Kitchen Tables & Chairs

Glass Table Topper

• One of the most effective ways to protect the top of your table from scratches and moisture is to place a glass topper over the table surface. Have a piece of glass cut and beveled to fit the dimensions of your table. Toppers create a barrier between your tabletop and the things you place on it. This is especially important on tables that have dark finish, on which scratches may show easily.

Coasters and Trivets

• While coasters protect a table from a wet glass, trivets are like coasters that protect a table from a hot pan. On a bare wooden table, coasters are basically essential because water can easily stain and even warp a wooden surface. Trivets allow you to place a hot pan or casserole dish directly onto the surface of the table without fear of burning the table. These two tools are made from a variety of materials and offer the best protection against damage from vessels that hold food and liquid.

Tablecloths

• A tablecloth is really the most obvious method of protecting a table from wear and tear, and yet tablecloths offer so much more than protection. Tablecloths dress up the space around the table, adding color and a festive touch. Families that regularly utilize tablecloths may purchase a variety tablecloths for different seasons and different events. Informal tablecloths, made from easy-to-clean materials, can be used on a daily basis. More formal tablecloths, made from more expensive and luxurious cloths, should be used at special events and gatherings. Tablecloths offer less protection than glass toppers, trivets and coasters, yet they are the best at offering protection and beauty simultaneously.

Place Mats

• A place mat is a piece of cloth or other material that sits at each place setting beneath the plate, silverware and cup. Place mats serve the same function as tablecloths; they protect the table from scratches, offer some protection from moisture and add a decorative touch to the settings. Place mats have less ability to protect the table than tablecloths because they cover only the area beneath each place setting; but there is a time and place for them all the same. Place mats manage to offer some protection without dressing up the space in the same way that tablecloths do. Place mats have an informal appearance and are easier to clean than tablecloths. This makes place mats appropriate for everyday meals.

Chair Slipcovers

• Chair slipcovers are designed to cover the back and seat of a chair. Often slipcovers tie to the legs of a chair to keep them in place. Slipcovers are usually made from a comfortable, easily laundered material like cotton. This does not protect the chair from moisture but will prevent the chair from becoming scratched. In addition to offering some protection to the seat, slipcovers can provide a classy touch to a room.

Chair Pads

• As much for your comfort as they are for chair protection, chair pads cover the seat of chairs only. The protection the chair gleans from this is minimal, but there are other benefits that make chair pads right for some people. Chair pads are especially helpful for older couples who find their hard wooden seats less comfortable than they used to be, and for families that spend a great deal of time at the kitchen table working and socializing.