Clean linen is a highly versatile, popular fabric made of natural fibers from flax plants that has been used to make clothes, sheets, aprons, handkerchiefs, and countless other textiles for thousands of years. It has remained a highly popular material because it is durable, comfortable, and breathes easy. Linen is also a great fabric in hot weather because it helps keeps you cool in hot temperatures.
But linen is also known to wrinkle easy and require special washing care. Although it has a reputation for being a difficult fabric to clean, washing linen is actually easier than most people think. At Closet Linen, we can answer all your questions so you will know how to clean your linens.
Should I Dry Clean Linen?
While dry cleaning linen is a common way to wash your household linens, it is highly unnecessary. Most linen fabrics today are pretreated so they can be washed in your own washing machine or by hand.
For best results when linen washing in your machine, set your washer on the gentle cycle and follow the instructions for water temperature and soap types. Linen can also be washed by hand in a sink or tub of soapy water.
Why Choose Linen Over Cotton?
Clean linen and cotton are two versatile, lightweight, breathable fabrics that are made of natural plant fibers. While there are many similarities between the two eco-friendly materials, there are also distinct differences that make linen a better fabric to choose for many of your textiles.
Linen is a stronger, more durable fabric that is easy to dye and use for many household and personal textiles. Cotton threads are typically finer and break more easily than flax-made threads. Flax threads are stronger and more tightly woven to produce material that is less likely to break. Clean linen is also a comfortable fabric whereas ridge cotton fabrics can feel stiff.
While both can absorb fluids, clean linen has a wicken quality that naturally draws sweat and fluids from the body and dries quickly. This is beneficial in hot climates because linen helps cool the body faster.
How to Wash Linen
Linen can be easily washed by machine or hand. For best results washing linen in your appliance should be done on a gentle cycle using cool or lukewarm water. Clothing and other textiles will have labels that give clear instructions on how to wash your linens. By following the instructions, your linen fabric will come out clean, soft, and free of wrinkles.
Linen washing can also be done by hand. For best results, gently swirl the linens in the water and avoid twisting your fabric to wring out the excess water.
How to Dry Linen
After washing your linens, you can hang dry your textiles or dry your linen fabrics in your dryer. Set your dryer to a low temperature and do not overfill your appliance so your personal items have ample room to tumble dry. For best results in preventing wrinkles, remove your clean linen from your dryer when it is still slightly damp and let them hang dry.
Do I Need to Iron Linen?
Linen does not need to be ironed as part of your linen care. However, if you have items that you want crisp looking and line free, knowing how to iron your linens will give them the look you want without discolouring the fabric.
If ironing your linen, iron light coloured fabrics on both sides and with steam or when the fabric is damp. Dark-coloured linens should be ironed on the reverse side.
How to Store Linen
For best linen care, store your linens in a cool, dry place. To prevent discolouration, never store linen fabrics in plastic, cardboard, or cedar containers. Acid paper liner sheets or clean fabric containers can be used to keep the clean linen dry, free of dust, and fresh smelling if you are storing them for long periods of time. Linen has built-in bug repellent qualities so you do not have to worry about insect damage.
Does Linen Get Softer with Washing?
Linen is made of natural fabrics so every time you wash it, it becomes softer. If you do not want to wait several wash loads for your textiles to soften, you can add fabric softener or baking soda to your machine when washing your linens.
At Linen Closet, we are an upscale online shop offering premium linen home textiles and décor. Visit our online store today to see our latest collections in exquisite décor and accessories.
