How to Wash Linen? a Complete Care Guide

Learn how to wash linen clothing safely to prevent damage, and take good care of your priceless new purchase going forward.

From your favorite summer linen dress to wear on vacation to the linen shirt you wear to work and out on the town, linen clothing is adaptable, casually stylish, and always in style.

A high-quality linen fabric is sturdy and durable on its own, so you won’t have to spend hours cajoling it to do what you want. Washing and caring for linen items is easy and pretty straightforward. However, if you want to get the most out of your linen items, you should abide by these fundamental guidelines.

Further Reading: How to Wash a Linen Tablecloth Safely and Effectively?

What to Consider Before You Wash Linen Clothes?

Try to pre-treat any stains or marks on your linen clothing before washing it. Baking soda and white vinegar are good at-home solutions for removing stains, so dab them there right away. Check the color’s durability first on a hidden area.

We always recommend that you check the care instructions on the label of linen garments before you wash your linen clothing or other linen items. Here’s why:

• With its great versatility for any wardrobe, linen blends well with other materials and works well with various dye colors. These blended fabrics, however, might need special handling.
• When washing, linen clothing and fabric that has already been washed are less likely to shrink. However, it’s still important to use the recommended temperatures because while some garments can be machine-washed in warmer water, others need cold water.
• Even though all dresses, tunics, trousers, and shirts are made of pure linen, other materials used for the stitching, trim, or lining may need to be dry cleaned or hand washed. That advice can ruin your garment if you disregard it or are unaware of it.
• Clothes made of less expensive linen might not wash as well as finer linens. Your clothes will wash better and last longer if you purchase them from a reputable retailer that uses premium linen fabric in its garments.
• Fabric damage or shrinkage could result from failing to follow the item’s washing instructions. Before washing or ironing linen, read the label.

How to Wash Linen?

Although it may appear that linen is extremely delicate and difficult to maintain, this is not necessarily the case. The label that is attached to your linen garment will always tell you how to care for it, but it also helps to have some general knowledge.

In addition to being able to dry clean linen, you can also machine wash and hand wash it.

Machine Washing

1. Sort the linens into white, dark, and colored piles. Wash different fabrics separately for best results. Avoid mixing it with heavy items like towels or denim to prevent damage.
2. Prepare the laundry by turning them inside out. All the buttons should be fastened, and the zippers closed.
3. To ensure proper rinsing, make sure your laundry has enough space.
4. Pick waters that are lukewarm (around 40°C/104°F) and low in temperature.
5. Use the gentle cycle on the washing machine.
6. Use a gentle detergent designed for delicate fabrics.
7. Avoid using bleach, as it can weaken the fibers and possibly cause discoloration.
8. No need for a softener since linen naturally gets softer with each wash and stonewashed linen is already at its softest point; using a softener will only weaken the fibers and reduce the fabric’s capacity to absorb and wick moisture.
9. Using a dye-trapping sheet while washing your dress could help ease your discomfort if you are hesitant to dye the white hems of your linen items, even though this shouldn’t be the case since all of our colors are fixed.

Hand Washing

For lightly soiled clothing or linen with a loose weave, hand washing is advised.

During a machine wash, this might be more easily harmed. A teaspoon of mild detergent should be added to a small container of lukewarm water. For about 10 minutes, soak the linen garment in lukewarm water.

Swish linen clothing in a gentle back-and-forth motion. Never scrub or twist the fabric because you could ruin it. To completely remove the soap, drain the soapy water and rinse it several times.

The fabric should not be scrubbed, twisted, or wrung out to remove excess water from the linen because doing so will damage your clothing. To get rid of moisture, carefully roll each item in a towel. Avoid wrinkles and even ironing by drying your linen dress on a padded hanger!

Dry Cleaning

Flax fibers are used to make linen. Dry cleaning is useful because these natural fibers are more prone to wrinkling.

While washing your linens is acceptable, having them dry cleaned will save you the time it takes to press the linens to get rid of any creases or wrinkles.

How to Wash Linen Bedding?

Many of you ask for advice on how to properly wash linen sheets and other bedding components. With a few additional crucial points to remember, the same rules apply.

First, prep the laundry by turning them inside out and buttoning up all the buttons, zipping up zippers, tying up ties, etc.

Next, make sure your laundry has enough room so it can rinse effectively. You can wash linen bedding with other delicates, but do not mix it with heavy items like towels, or denim.

How to Wash Linen Clothing?

Compared to linen sheets or duvet covers, for instance, clothing made of linen is typically more intricate and structured, so washing it may call for a little extra care. The tendency of linen clothing to wrinkle is something that many people want to prevent, if not control.

A couple of ways to do that is by washing linen clothing in plenty of space and hanging it to dry immediately after the wash.

How to Dry Your Linen Clothes?

• You can safely dry your linen item in a tumble dryer if it was pre-washed during production. Set the dryer to a low setting and take the garment out while it is still slightly damp.
• Your linen clothing should always be dried flat in the air. The fabric may become stained by hangers or clothespins, and the garment may lose its original form.
• Although we prefer the way linen fabric naturally wrinkles if you prefer to iron your linen garments, make sure they are still damp before you begin.
• Air drying is necessary if the linen is being used as upholstery on a piece of furniture or is on a larger piece that cannot be put inside a dryer.

How to Store Linen?

To prevent mildew, ensure that your linens are entirely dry. It’s best to store natural fibers like linen away from direct sunlight in cool, dry, well-ventilated areas because they need to breathe. Stay away from storing linen in plastic bags; instead, use linen bags or repurposed pillowcases.

We suggest using three sets of sheets in rotation for the bed, one in the closet, and one in the washer. This will extend the life of your linens by allowing each set to dry out between washings.

Conclusion: Care for Your Linen

One of the most elegant and pure textiles in use today is linen. Even though it has a timeless design and is dependable in use, linen needs some level of routine care and cleaning to stay fresh.

You can dry clean, hand wash, or use your washing machine to clean linen.

Clothing made of linen is a year-round option, from linen shirts in the summer to your flowy linen dress that you layer with woolens in the fall. If you love and take good care of your linens, you’ll have them for a very long time.

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