How to Wash Linen Sheets?
● Linen is a sturdy, durable, and antiallergenic material that is used to create various textile products, as well as bedding sets.
● Linen sheets are considered high-quality and comfortable because they are exceptionally breathable and soft to the touch.
● To ensure the longevity of your linen sheets, it is important to at least know the basic principles of how to wash, dry, and store them. Spoiler alert: it’s super easy just follow the below advice.
First of all, congratulations on making a conscious decision and purchasing linen bedding - that's probably one of the smartest choices for when it comes to choosing your bedding material!
Linen is an organic and extremely durable material that contains natural fibers. Also, linen sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases are exceptionally breathable – they absorb moisture and regulate temperature adjusting to the outside climate.
However, in order to take full advantage of your linen bedding, there are some very important things you should know about washing linen in general.
Don’t worry – they are pretty straightforward!
Washing Linen
Linen sheets can be hand-washed, washed in the washing machine, or dry cleaned.
● The best cleaning solutions for the linen are mild detergent or soap and a great amount of warm or cold water. No fancy stuff needed!
● Bleach (without chlorine) is only recommended for white color linen because it is considered a harsh chemical that may weaken the natural fibers and cause discoloration of colored linen items.
● First time washing linen in the washing machine? Load your linen separately from your other laundry and do not overload your machine, set the temperature at 40°C/104°F, and of course, do not mix the dark and light colors together!
TIP: When washing linen in the washing machine, make sure there is enough space for the linen sheets to move freely. Don't overload it! Otherwise, linen may become very wrinkly.
Removing Stains from Linen Sheets
Stains from linen fabrics are easy to remove if they are noticed instantly. If not – take it easy! We’ve got you covered almost in any possible situation. Let’s get going.
What to do If you spilled a sugary drink on your linen sheets?
Start by hand-washing your linen sheet with lukewarm water and a mild soap without any coloring. After that, simply put in the washing machine as usual with your normal laundry detergent (no bleach).
What to do if you notice a chocolate stain on your linen sheets?
First, pre-wash the sheets with lukewarm water and use mild stain remover only. Then, wash it under your regular washing cycle.
What to do if you dripped candle wax on your linen sheets?
Start by removing as much wax as possible by scraping the little fragments from the fabric. After this, cover the remaining stains with a napkin and iron it until you see the stains disappear, and once the napkin has absorbed all of the wax (just a piece of advice – avoid lighting candles in your bed. It would be a real shame if your fancy linen bedding set would set on fire).
Removing blood from linen material.
Soak the linen sheets in the cold water for a while. Then – simply wash it in the washing machine.
Notice streaks of Makeup on your linen, here is how to remove makeup stains from your bedding.
Rub the stains with a piece of mild noncolored soap or apply the mild stain remover. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then put everything in the washing machine with your laundry detergent.
If you have pets at home your bedding might get muddy, if this happens don’t worry here if how to get rid of mud stains from linen sheets.
First, pre-wash the dirty sheets only with lukewarm water and stain remover. Afterward – run the regular washing cycle!
TIP: We highly recommend adding some fabric softener, especially for the darker fabrics this will keep your linen extra soft and less wrinkly, not forgetting the lovely fragrance!
Drying Linen
Linen sheets can be machine-dried in the dryer or air-dried naturally. If you choose to air-dry your sheets, keep in mind a few things:
● Linen dries very fast, therefore make sure they are still at least slightly damp when you hang them. If the sheets dry out completely before they are hanged, it can be very difficult to iron them later.
● Do not spin the laundry in the washing machine before drying this will prevent creasing.
● Direct sunlight is not recommended when drying linen sheets or linen garments. If you choose to use the tumble dryer for drying your linen sheets, make sure to set the right temperature. It is always better to choose medium heat or low heat temperature when drying linen as it dries extremely fast and you do not want it to over dry best to remove your sheets from your dryer while they are still slightly damp this will ensure your sheets feel much softer. You can then lay out your linen items and air dry them for the remaining minutes, this will take no time at all and will make sure your linen bedding feels super soft.
Ironing Linen
Although linen fabrics tend to crease quicker, they are pretty easy to iron and the extra crease often adds character to linen fabric. Here are some simple tips for how to iron your linen:
● Linen sheets are best to iron when they are still slightly damp.
● If the sheets are already dry – simply dampen them with some clean water before ironing.
● After you finish ironing, leave the linen sheets slightly damp and hang them in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area so that they could air-dry themselves completely.
TIP: Iron your linen sheets on the inner side of the fabric to prevent the linen surface from becoming smooth, glossy, and discolored.
Storing Linen
Linen sheets should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area. It is not recommended to store them in plastic bags or carton boxes – try to look for fabric cloth bags instead or you can even use pillowcases to store bedding sets and your sheets sets.
All in all, linen bedding is a great investment in the quality of your sleep. Now that you are familiar with how easy it is to wash, dry, iron, and store your linen you can take comfort in knowing your sheets are bound to last for many more years to come and even get softer over time.