Crate and Barrel · Stain-Resistant Textiles
Crate & Barrel Aspen Tablecloth
Skip or contact Crate & Barrel about water-repellent coating chemistry.
The Crate & Barrel Aspen is a linen blend marketed for water and stain resistance, finishes that often use PFAS-based durable water repellents (water-repellent coating). The brand doesn't publicly state anything about PFAS avoidance or testing. Without third-party certification or brand openness, you can't rule out PFAS risk.
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Material
Linen blend with water/stain repellent finish
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Water-repellent tablecloth finishes commonly use PFAS-based fluorochemicals, but non-fluorinated alternatives exist. Crate & Barrel has not disclosed which is used in the Aspen Tablecloth. PFAS in textiles can leach into wash water and potentially bioaccumulate; this is graded separately but drives the primary concern.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating degradation and surface flaking over time
Water-repellent coating finishes degrade with repeated washing. As the coating breaks down, finish residues may shed or leach; condition of the treated surface should be monitored, and replacement is advisable once repellency is lost.
What’s reassuring
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Linen-blend tablecloths are not a primary source of formaldehyde risk compared to synthetic-heavy textiles or wrinkle-resistant cotton finishes. No recalls or documented issues for Crate & Barrel linen tablecloths on this hazard.
Source, ATSDR ↗Azo dyes (colorfast synthetic dyes)
The product's color and dye safety are not documented as a concern. Crate & Barrel tablecloths are not known to use restricted azo dyes, but lack third-party testing certification to verify this.
Microfiber shedding or fiber degradation
Linen-blend tablecloths do not shed microplastics significantly during normal use or washing. The polyester content is woven, not microbeaded, so this is a low-risk hazard class for this product type.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
The Aspen Tablecloth is a linen blend, typically linen mixed with synthetic fibers like polyester for durability and wrinkle resistance. The water and stain repellent finish is the critical unknown, these water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatments historically rely on fluorochemicals (PFAS) to create the hydrophobic barrier, though some manufacturers have begun transitioning to non-fluorinated alternatives. Crate & Barrel provides no public specification of which chemistry is used in this product, leaving the PFAS status entirely unclear.
The brand's record and disclosure
Crate & Barrel has not published a comprehensive chemical disclosure policy or PFAS elimination commitment as of available public records. The brand does not highlight textile certifications such as OEKO-TEX or STANDARD 100 on the Aspen Tablecloth product page, which would otherwise verify absence of restricted substances. This silence is typical of mid-market home goods retailers and does not indicate active harm, but reflects minimal transparency on treatment chemistry.
How it compares in its category
Tablecloths with water-repellent finishes occupy a middle ground, untreated linen avoids water-repellent coating chemistry entirely but stains easily, while certified organic linen or OEKO-TEX-certified tablecloths provide assurance of non-PFAS treatments. The Aspen Tablecloth's lack of third-party certification places it in a large category of conventional home textiles where water-repellent coating treatment chemistry is simply not disclosed to consumers. Many competitor brands at similar price points also remain silent on this issue.
If you buy it
Wash in cool to warm water and follow care label instructions to preserve the water-repellent coating finish and minimize any potential leaching of finishes during laundering. Avoid high heat drying, which can degrade coatings and potentially volatilize treatment residues. If stain-repellency visibly degrades after 20-30 washes, replacement is appropriate. Before purchase, contact Crate & Barrel customer service directly and ask whether the water-repellent coating chemistry is fluorine-free; a clear answer will resolve the primary safety uncertainty.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Crate and Barrel has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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⚠Starting grade for this product type
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No PFAS disclosure available from brand on this cover.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
More stain-resistant textiles grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.