The object of a coaster is to keep the moisture from a sweaty glass from coming in contact with the surfaces in your home. They can accomplish this one of two ways, by either simply holding the liquid on the surface of the coaster, often with a lip, or by absorbing the moisture into the coaster itself.
There are a variety of different absorbent coasters that can be made or purchased. Cork coasters are probably the simplest of these, being inexpensive, and relatively disposable. These can also often be printed on in monotone ink, and these coasters are relatively popular in bars or as promotional tools for beverage companies.
There are also a variety of cloth, cotton, and yarn coasters which are absorbent. These are often hand made and can either be produced by you, or purchased at local craft fairs and art shows. The size, shape, and color will vary, and some are actually built to slide around the outside of a glass.
Sandstone is the newest craze in absorbent coasters. This natural stone material is quarried from mountains around the world and then refined, cut down, and reworked into a series of square and round beverage coasters. The final product is a solid piece of stone that has minute pores within its surface. These pores allow the moisture from a wet glass to seep into the stone, where it remains until it can evaporate into the air.
The unifying factor across all of these coasters is the unique ability they have to soak up moisture. However this absorbent property is different in each material. In cork, the soaking of the moisture starts to degrade the material, causing it to flake and fall apart over time. In cloth the material can get sloggy and sloshy, and may even drip, although they can be washed easily enough in a washing machine most times. With sandstone the material is fairly resilient, and doesn't generally have these negative problems. However the stone can stain if the wrong liquid is left sitting on and in the coaster.
There are a variety of different materials that can be made into absorbent coasters. They each have their advantages and their drawbacks. Knowing the attributes of the coaster that you choose will allow you to compensate for the negative, and accentuate the positive aspects of the piece.
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