Melamine placemats for care homes
When looking for care home placemats apart from selecting designs that will appeal to the majority of residents it is crucial that they are sufficiently robust to withstand the constant wear and tear. Using placemats in a catering environment it is generally recommended that they are the type with a melamine surface.
Melamine placemats are heat resistant to a much higher temperature, around 150C, than the lacquered finish versions. The type of melamine used in these placemats is not only food safe, but is also much more scratch resistant and will maintain a fresh appearance for longer.
Food should not be deliberately served directly onto the surface of the mats as the intention is that the tablemats are there to protect the tabletop from heat or spilt food from a dinner plate, but no harm will occur if some food does end up on the actual placemat.
Buying care home placemats
Although initially buying melamine placemats for a care home costs more than the lacquer variety, given the extended useful life span the melamine version works out as a much more economical option. Particularly considering the amount of wear they will experience in the majority of residential care home settings.
When you are buying care home placemats the usual plan would be to buy placemats that all have the same design, this makes distribution at mealtimes a lot easier to arrange and helps to ensure that all the tablemats are used equally.
Looking after care home placemats
Although melamine placemats are robust, they should still be maintained reasonably carefully after each use. Any spilt food and particularly moisture should be wiped away with a damp cloth. The soft cork backing on these place mats is designed to prevent the mats from sliding around as well as to stop your furniture getting scratched.
The nature of the cork backing means they cannot be placed in a dishwasher as the base would quickly deteriorate. If extra cleaning is needed then some washing up liquid soap and a soft damp cloth should be enough to wipe away even substantial amounts of food.
It is important to make your staff aware of the cleaning requirements of care home placemats, especially to make sure they are not tempted to put them in a dishwasher. This way a set of melamine placemats will last for a long time even with constant daily usage.
