Washing linen: the short guide
Linen is easier to live with than its reputation. Forty degrees, no fabric softener, and never the iron.
We sell linen every day, and every day someone asks us if it is hard to look after. It is not: linen is one of the most forgiving fabrics in the house, as long as you avoid three mistakes.
Wash at 40 °C
Hotter washes shrink the fibres and fade the colour. Use a gentle liquid detergent and fill the drum only halfway so the linen can move.
Skip the fabric softener
It coats the fibres and makes linen less absorbent. Linen softens on its own, wash after wash.
Forget the iron
Shake each piece out of the machine and dry it flat or on a line. The creases are part of the charm; if you really want them gone, put the bed back together while the linen is still slightly damp.
