Your Ulster Linen textiles are begging for you to launder them! Don’t fear laundering linen. You have the power to enhance its natural beauty by simply doing your laundry. Follow these few steps to become a linen-laundering expert!
Laundering Linen
Don’t be scared! Linen is a wonderful fabric to launder. Someone who is knowledgeable when it comes to linen care will choose to wash linen articles because they know linen, as a natural fiber, launders beautifully. Table linens, handkerchiefs and bed linen launder especially well! This is because the more linen is washed, the softer and more luminous it becomes. Linen’s luminous quality is caused by nodes on the flax fibers, which reflect light.
Shirts and other garments worn close to the body are easily washed. Freshly washed linen has a naturally clean fragrance and gives one the sense of well being. In the case of hand or machine-washing, use a sufficient amount of water since linen is very absorbent.
What to Use to Launder Linen?
- Use pure soap or gentle detergent when laundering linens. Soap works best in soft water. (In hard water it forms curds that makes fabrics dingy and stiff).
- Launder any stains when fresh. If allowed to set, stains may be impossible to remove at a later date.
- Use oxygen-type bleaches for white linen, instead of chlorine bleaches, which can cause yellowing.
- Select a water temperature between warm to hot, depending on the care instructions.
- Place delicate or fringed linens in a pillowcase before putting them into a washing machine.
- Whether hand or machine washing, be sure to rinse the linen item completely in lots of water to remove all soap, detergent and residual soil. This will help to avoid formation of “age spots” which are caused by oxidation of cellulose (linen’s primary component).
Drying Linen
A variety of drying methods are recommended for linen: line drying, machine drying or rolling in terry towels.
- (Pro-tip) Whatever method you use, remember to remove the linen from the dryer or the towels while it is still damp. If linen dries thoroughly, it becomes brittle and takes several hours to recover its natural moisture and full flexibility.
- Avoid wringing out linen before drying! This is not the movies, no need to wring out your linen!
- To keep white linens white, try drying them in the sun.
Now you are ready. Reference this blog anytime you have questions! Be sure to tune in every week to learn more about the incredible and versatile Ulster Linen. Next week we will give you tips for stain removal! Here is a sneak peak tip…
How to get rid of those pesky PERSPIRATION stains!
Use pre-wash stain remover or rub with bar of soap. If color of fabric has changed, apply ammonia to fresh stains, white vinegar to old stains and rinse. Launder using hottest water safe for fabric. Want to know how to get red wine out? You’ll have to check in on next week’s blog!
Do you have more questions about laundering your linen? We are here to answer your questions! Being a 4th generation business, Ulster Linen has immense linen knowledge and history that has been passed down through the years. It is because of this reason that we are one of the top providers for quality linen and your one stop shop for a truly superior product.
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