Linen care

Proper care is one of the main conditions to ensure the long and successful life of linens. Here you will find a few suggestions that will help your fine linens to wear softly and smoothly through the endless laundering.

It is important to select the proper washing agent. Many detergents today contain optical whitening agents that work well on white linens. These are not, however, recommended for dyed linens, as discoloring and spotting may happen. When washing dyed garments check that your detergent does not have whitening agents, or choose a soap powder. If you have hard water, with a high lime content, we recommend a softening agent, especially for darker colors.

WASHING TIPS

MACHINE WASHING

New linen should be washed in cooler water temperatures for the first few washes; this will set the mercerization process. We recommend separating your linens from other items in the first wash. Future wash temperatures should be at 40°C, but for stubborn stains, temperatures can be raised to 60°C. At that temperature, the smooth flax fibers that make up the linen material will release any staining.

If your washing machine allows you to select the water level, choose the highest one offered because linen is highly absorbent. Avoid crowding the washing machine with too many items at once as it can result in twisting or pulling the linen fabric out of shape. Be sure that any other items washed with linen clothing are similar in color, weight, and washing instructions.

HAND WASHING

Hand wash linen clothing using a gentle swishing motion, but never wring, twist or scrub the cloth. Hand washing is best suited for clothing that is not heavily soiled, or for linen fabric with a loose weave, which might be damaged in a washing machine.

DETERGENT

Use a neutral or mild detergent that does not contain any bleaching agents such as chlorine or peroxide. Do not pour the detergent directly on textiles; rather, add it to the water as the wash tub fills or dilute detergent with water, then add linens. Be sure that detergent is completely rinsed from the garment before drying.

BLEACHING

The detergents that contain bleaching agents are perfect for white linen but should not be used for washing dyed linen or else your linen would get discolored or spotted. Chlorine bleach can weaken fibers and cause them to yellow. If white fabrics need bleaching, use an oxygen-based bleach.

DRYING

Do not wring out linen before drying. Whatever drying method you choose – line drying, tumbler drying or laying out on a terry towel – make sure your linen articles are slightly damp before ironing.  Drying white linen in the sun helps to retain the original white color. Overdrying is the most harmful process for fabrics as it weakens the fibers causing shrinkage and pilling. Over-dried items restore their natural moisture content after re-absorbing moisture from the air.

IRONING

Remove your linens from the dryer promptly while still damp to reduce wrinkles. Smooth and fold, or press with an iron if desired. Iron linens while still slightly damp on the reverse side of the fabric. Use a steam iron on a warm/hot setting for linen and a water spritzer if needed.

SHRINKAGE

Our washed linen production is highly resistant to shrinkage compared with non-washed linen. Pre-shrunk items normally shrink 3 percent or less. Do not wash or, especially, dry linens on a hot setting, which is most likely to cause shrinkage.