Polyester fabric is characterized by its power to defy both fading and shrinking making it the most widely utilized material in the production of clothes since 1960. In addition to the production of clothing, companies found that polyester material worked well in the production of table cloths, chair covers, placemats, table skirting and aprons. However, when it came to napkins, companies found that 100% polyester material was not a good choice. Table napkins made of 100% polyester lacked absorption and did not have the feel of cotton, which one associated with pricy table linen.

Enter spun polyester fabric. Spun polyester was initially developed for industrial use and home furnishings. An effort by Johnston Industries to produce a boat cover from spun polyester lead to the discovery of a lighter weight polyester that had an better feel to it. While dying this new version of spun polyester, they discovered that the cloth became even softer, making it perfect for tablecloths.

Johnston Industries felt so strongly about their discovery that they discontinued the development of boat covers. In order to improve the spun poly cloth that had been made, Johnston Industries decided to hire a textile expert named Bob Pomeranz. Bob’s expert knowledge of spinning machines allowed him to spin a fabric free from pilling, the pesky fiber clumps that detract from a cloth’s appearance. In the end, Johnston Industries created a tablecloth that was durable. It kept its color, released soil and resisted shrinkage.

Tablecloths constructed of spun poly could now have the feel of cotton materials and most significantly, unlike cotton fiber, a spun poly table cloth would not fade after many a washings. To a greater extent, the more you washed a spun poly tablecloth the softer and better it would feel to the touch.

Today, the consumer will find that chair coverings, place mats, table skirting, aprons and even napkins are made from spun polyester. In fact, spun poly napkins were quite absorbant, a characteristic that 100% poly table napkins did not have.

Whether 100% poly or spun polyester, both are important, not just in the home, but in hotels, nursing homes, hospitals and the party rental industry as well.