Use a Flannel Backed Tablecloth to Protect the Table
I don't use my large dining room table very often, but when I do, I don't like for the heat from the plates to create those hard-to-remove white spots on my table. To prevent this, I decided to use a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth underneath my regular polyester/cotton tablecloth. Since the vinyl cloth was dark blue and my regular cloth was off-white, I simply flipped the vinyl tablecloth over so that the white flannel side faced up. It didn't show through my off-white tablecloth and it prevented the plates from making white spots on my table.