If like us, you've only been introduced to 100% linen recently, you may be unsure on how to care for it. Well, let us tell you, it's a doddle!
Linen is a strong, durable fabric which means you won't have to worry about tailoring to its every need like you often do with other fabrics. However, if you want to make it last a little bit longer, simply follow these tips.
Washing 100% Linen
Linen fabric is great in the washing machine on 40 degrees, or you can hand wash! There's no need for any bleach, you can use a simple detergent to clean off any nasties, but we do recommend separating your lights from your darks.
The washing machine is great if you're short on time, but please don't put any linens on a hot wash. This can cause the linen to shrink by up to 10%.
If you're hand-washing, let the linen sit for 10 minutes before giving it a swirl. You won't need to ring or scrub the linen and this may stretch it and cause any fibres to come loose.
Drying 100% Linen
If you thought washing linen was easy, wait until you try drying it. It it so, so easy and you won't have to keep checking it.
For kitchen and table linen we recommend air drying. You can dry it flat, however we prefer hanging from the line. Thanks to linen's fabulous hollow fibres, air flows through your linens will be quicker than other fabrics, meaning you won't have to wait long before your linen is dried and ready for use.
If it's raining outside, no problem. Pop your linen in the tumble dryer on a low heat.
Ironing 100% Linen
It's a hat trick. Ironing linen is easy too.
Firstly, you really don't need to iron linen if you like a relaxed look. When drying, your linen's lines and creases will slowly fall out, leaving you with relaxed looking fabric.
If you do like the crisper look, simply whizz the iron over your linen on a cool heat setting.
Removing Stains
The faster, the better with stains on linen. As linen is super absorbent, it's important to act fast when trying to remove any oils, dirt or grease. Any stains left for too long will be absorbed deep into the fabric if left for too long making them harder to remove.
If the stain is minor, try soaking it in a detergent solution before washing it in carbonated water. If the stain is looking a little more stubborn, try massaging some dish soap into your stain before you wash it as normal.
For any stains that are proving very tricky, try massaging some baking soda and vinegar over your stain before blotting away any excess.
Bleaching Linen
We do not recommend bleaching your linens. Bleach and optical brightens will weaken the fabric fibres and may cause discolouration.
Softening Linen
Linen will get softer with each wash so no need to use any fabric softeners. If fact, these too can weaken the fabric fibres and coat them. This will dilute their absorbency and moisture-wicking properties.
Stretching 100% Linen
100% Linen is a natural fabric and will tend to stretch once used. For example, if you have linen bed sheets, these might get a little baggier once used over a few nights sleep. This is a common characteristic of linen, but fear not, linen will go back to its normal size when washes.
