Separate Tablecloths for Meat and Milk
Is there such a thing as meat and milk tablecloths? Or can we just wash them in between use and switch from one to the other?
The Aish Rabbi Replies
Technically, it’s fine to wash a tablecloth and then switch its use from meat to milk. The purpose of separate tablecloths is to safeguard from foods of one type coming in contact with residue from foods of the opposite type – as well as to distinguish between two people who are eating separate types of food.
However, the common custom is to have separate, designated tablecloths for each type, no doubt to avoid confusion. (See The Laws of Kashrus (ArtScroll), p. 366.)
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