Linen Beauty - Learn To Take Care Of Your Linen

Linen cleaning is a delicate job, and no one really is an expert on how to handle it. Most people get their linen cleaned by professionals or just ruin them through misuse and neglect. Others don’t even use it for fear of spoiling them. Therefore, it’s a good idea to learn how to care for your linen.

This is especially the case when it comes to older linens made from fine materials. Such linens are prone to damage from any number of sources and once destroyed they can never really be replaced. If you do not learn how to properly clean heirloom linens then you had better prepare yourself for the very real possibility that your neglect will most likely destroy the linen so that no one else can ever enjoy it again.

Old linens have an incomparable charm and beauty, and it would be a pity to keep them stored away. They lend a distinct character to the space. If you have inherited them, you would like to pass them on to your children in the same shape. So, it’s necessary to make that extra effort to maintain and clean your old linens.

The first thing that you need to watch out for is dirt, which can cause much damage to quality linens. Once dirt is allowed to settle in, it literally burrows down into the fibers and causes irreversible damage. A vacuum cleaner can help you safely remove this dirt from the textile. A fiberglass screen placed over the fabric before you vacuum can help protect especially fragile linen.

Basically, never store away stained or soiled linen. Always clean it before storing it. Otherwise, the insects will damage it as they go in search of food and grease.

While cleaning the linen you have to make sure that the color, strength, or shape of the fabric does not change. So, you can use water to clean cotton fabrics. Washing will help reduce acid build-up and make the fabric become more flexible in the process. You should not use water to clean wool or silk fabrics because water tends to weaken these fabrics making it harder to remove dirt.

Harsh chemicals can also certainly cause damage to fine linen so be sure to use a mild soap when cleaning these. The way to test linen to see if its colors will bleed or the fabric will fade is to dab a few drops of water in some obscure part of the linen and allow it to dry. Test the linen before you soak the entire material in water.

Giving your fine linens for dry cleaning is the last resort. The high temperatures involved in the cleaning process can damage the fabric. However, if you cannot clean it at home, you have to get them dry cleaned. But, make sure the linen is clean before you store it so that you and your children can enjoy them for a long time.