Beverage coasters are the most indispensable items you can have on your coffee table or dining room table. These little items are inexpensive and not only do they add to the decor of a room, they are one of the best ways you can protect your furniture from stains caused by liquid that accumulates on the bottom of a drink glass. These coasters come in all shapes and sizes, containing designs, logos and writing or plain and made from a variety of materials. Although you may like the look of the coasters because they match your decor to a tee, you do have to look at the quality of the coaster to make sure it is absorbent enough for your needs.

If you are hosting a party and want to have enough beverage coasters (http://www.thirstycoasters.com/servlet/-strse-966/Auburn-University-Beverage-Coasters/Detail) for all your guests to use without going to a large expense, you can use ones made of cardstock that will suffice. You can pick these up at most department stores and dollar stores, but since they are made only from cardboard, you need to have plenty of them because they do soak apart very easily. The best thing is that when the party is over, you can just throw them in the trash and since they are made from paper they will disintegrate and not harm the environment.

When buying coasters that you want to display as a set in a holder on your table, the best option is to look for stone beverage coasters. These are very durable and will last for many years, which is why they are expensive. The price is worth it in the quality and absorbency of the drink coasters (http://www.thirstycoasters.com/servlet/-strse-Monograms/Categories). You don't need to clean them very often – only when you notice that one of them may be stained or if they seem to have lost some of the absorbency. The cleaning is very simple – just wipe them off with a damp cloth. Take care not to put them in the dishwasher because this could harm the cork backing.

Beverage coasters made of stone have a cork backing so that they won't scratch your furniture. This cork also helps to keep them from sliding on the furniture and thus keeps the drink in one place to prevent spilling. Some natural stones are very porous and can hold up to ¼ cup of liquid. The face of the coaster is also textured making it great for holding the moisture and preventing it from running off the top and down over the side. Many manufacturers have also applied a coating to the top of the stone coaster so that they are smooth and easy to clean, but this does not affect their absorbent quality.

The stone material used in manufacturing beverage coasters includes sandstone, limestone and Indian slate. They are very beautiful and come in a wide range of colors – some of which have become collectibles. Some varieties of slate from Africa have hues of rainbow colors in them as a natural part of the stone. When you buy a set of stone coasters, although you will have a set of four, no two will be identical because of the nature of the colors and intricacies that occur in the stone in its natural state. Not only will you have a beautiful enhancement for your decor, but this could also be a topic of conversation.