Looking After Linen

Linen is woven from the fibres of the flax plant. The fibres are long and strong, so linen is hard-wearing, and it absorbs water and dries quickly, which is why it has long been used for towels, tea towels and bedding. It also gets softer with every wash.

Washing

1. Wash in cool to warm water (30 to 40°C) on a gentle cycle, with a mild detergent.
2. Don’t overfill the machine. Linen needs room to move, and an overloaded drum creases it more.
3. Skip bleach, which weakens the fibres, and fabric softener, which coats them and makes linen less absorbent.
4. If it’s new and not pre-washed, expect a little shrinkage the first time.

Drying and ironing

Line drying is gentlest. If you use a tumble dryer, choose a low heat and take the linen out while it’s still slightly damp; over-drying makes it stiff. For crisp linen, iron it while damp on a fairly hot setting. If you like the relaxed, crumpled look, shake it out, hang it straight and leave it.

• StainsRinse in cold water as soon as you can. Hot water can set some stains, such as blood.
• StoringStore linen clean and fully dry, somewhere cool and airy, in a cotton bag or on a shelf rather than in plastic.