Duchka D'Sakina - Tablecloth Status

QUESTION: I have a beautiful milchig tablecloth that I hardly ever use. I would like to use it for fleishigs instead. Is it permissible to switch a tablecloth from milk to meat or from meat to milk?

ANSWER: The Magen Avraham (509:11) writes that there is a minhag not to permit kashering utensils from meat to dairy or from dairy to meat. The reason given is that if this were allowed, an individual might purchase only one pot or one knife and constantly kasher it back and forth. This type of arrangement will inevitably lead to mistakes. However, regarding tablecloths, the Magen Avraham (OC 173, introduction) implies that one may eat cheese on a fleishig tablecloth so long as it was washed well. Although in general the Magen Avraham does not permit kashering from dairy to meat, kashering tablecloths is apparently an exception. The main concern with tablecloths is that they might be stained with actual meat or milk. Since it is normal to wash them between uses, we are not concerned that one will forget.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.