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It was in England in 1941 that British scientists John Whinfield and James Dickson first produced polyester fabric. However, polyester material did not begin to be made in the United States until 1950 when American company, Dupont, bought the patent rights.

The ability of poly material to withstand both fading and shrinkage has made it the most widely utilized cloth, since 1960, in the manufacturing of clothes. Polyester also became a popular choice in the production of table cloths, chair coverings, placemats, table skirts and aprons. The use of 100% polyester cloth in the production of napkins was not as well accepted as it was for the production of garments and home decor. 100% poly napkins lacked both absorption and the feel of cotton which, at the time, was associated with costly table linen.

Enter spun polyester cloth. Spun polyester was initially developed for industrial use and home furnishings. When Johnston Industries attempted to produce a spun poly they could use in boat coverings the end result was a fabric that was lighter in weight with an improved feel to it. While dying this new version of spun polyester, they noticed that the fabric became even softer, making it perfect for tablecloths.

This discovery was considered to be so important that Johnston Industries stopped their development of boat coverings. Bob Pomeranz, an expert in textiles, took on the project of improving spun poly cloth at Johnston Industries. Bob’s expert knowledge of spinning machines allowed him to spin a fabric free from pilling, the wretched fiber clumps that detract from a cloth’s appearance. Johnston Industries’ end product was a durable tablecloth resistant to shrinking with the power to keep its color and release soil.

Spun poly could now be used to make table linens with the texture of cotton material. Best of all, unlike cotton, a spun poly table linen would continue to be colorfast , even after being washed many a times. To a greater extent, the more you washed a spun polyester table cloth the softer and better it would feel to the touch.

Textile manufacturers discovered that spun poly was good, not only for tablecloths, but in the production of chair coverings, placemats, table skirts, aprons and even table napkins. In fact, where napkins made of 100% poly material lacked absorption – spun poly table napkins did not.

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