16 Adorable, Easy-to-Clean Placemats for Lunch at Your Desk

As office workers slowly migrate back to the usual in-office rhythms of the day, one thing is for certain: lunches are about to become a little less sprawling. For workers who spent the last year or so sending emails from their dining table or front porch, lunch options were limitless. Last night's leftovers, a melty grilled cheese sandwich and even a seven-course meal of various snacks were all possibilities.

While a working lunch might not be so spontaneous after returning to the office, there are still plenty of ways to keep your midday meal organized, delicious and easily tidied up. The key to unlocking that last point is, of course, a stylish, storable placemat. Adding a placemat to your workplace arsenal of lunch equipment not only adds a little pop of personality to your workspace—it also cuts down on those pesky crumbs and drops of soup that inevitably land on your desk during lunchtime.

But the best part of this upgrade—aside from cutting down on your paper towel usage—is how cheaply and easily you can find the perfect mat for you. For just $5, you can add this simple, Joanna Gaines-approved placemat to your routine (buy it: $5, Target). Or opt for something a little sleeker, like this vegan leather placemat that would honestly give your desk a Mad Men look (buy it: $19, Etsy).

For a lightweight, machine washer-friendly choice, pick up a set of cloth napkins—like this pretty indigo set of four (buy it: $11, Target)—to lay flat under your bowl or plate as a makeshift placemat. Folded in your drawer, they'll take up very little space, and you can toss them all in the wash at the end of the week. Or you could opt for something a little heftier, like this colorful Florissant Hardmat (buy it: on sale for $6, was $13; Williams Sonoma), which can be wiped down at the end of the day for quick and easy cleanup.

No matter which one you choose, you'll be thanking us the next time your granola goes rogue.

5 Desk Placemats You Can Buy From Williams Sonoma