Linen, as noble and natural as it is, is very easy to care for. Washing even makes it better! It softens the fiber. A regularly washed linen will be smoother. But how do I clean and care for linen properly? Stain removal, washing, drying, and ironing.
1. Remove any stains
In case of a stain, it is always advisable to put your linen in the machine quickly. Do not hesitate to rub the stained zone before the washing machine with a fabric soaked in Marseille soap or warm vinegar. You can also use lemon. It helps to remove marks of red fruits, for example. Please note that you should not use bleach to stain or bleach your linen. It will destroy the fiber and discolor the linen completely.Don't forget that a stain is never irreversible even when it lands on a linen garment: the most important thing is not to let it get stuck and to take care of it before washing!
- Red wine: rub with sparkling water or white wine
- Fat: lather with dishwashing liquid and leave overnight
- Blood: a little patience, a thorough rinse with cold water, and you're done.
- Grass: if your laundry is white, rub it with a cloth soaked in lemon juice
2. Washing linen in the washing machine
Linen can be washed in the washing machine up to 60° for a good quality linen fabric. Linens and clothing made of 100% pure linen from Linenshed are washable at 60° without any problem. Note that a lesser quality linen fabric will not withstand a wash at more than 40°.
When it comes to laundry products, avoid chlorine-based detergents and always use a natural or at least mild laundry soap. Make sure to always separate light and dark colors. And, it is recommended not to mix pure linen pieces with polyester linen because the plumes produced by the latter cling to the natural fibers. This can affect the color and softness of the linen.
3. Machine or air drying
Use the tumble dryer for your linen. It will come out softer! Air drying is also suitable for linen. It dries very quickly, unlike other natural materials.
4. Some tips for ironing linen
Another great advantage of linen is that you don't need to iron it! Its typical slight wrinkle is a precious asset. Ironing washed linen would be a waste, especially since treated to achieve that expertly crumpled texture. If you absolutely must iron your linen, always do it on the wrong side and the slightly damp fabric.
- Use a hot iron (200°C)
- Never iron dry: your garment must be slightly damp
- Put your linen on the reverse side to avoid wrinkles.
- Use starch to help ironing.
Finally, never dry clean linen.
