How To Maintain Your Linen Pieces With Care

Simple, sustainable and beautiful are just some of the words we can use to describe linen. For you ladies wanting to make more conscious decisions about the things you bring into your space, investing in linen pieces is the perfect way to do so.  

The elegance of linen may lead you to believe that its care and maintenance is a complex regime that must be mastered to the tee. But this is actually the furthest thing from the truth. The durability of linen is why it has survived for centuries - the quality of the fabric and the ease with which you can take care of your linen pieces. Today, we're going to shed some light on just how easy it is to care for linen and keep it looking beautiful. 

It's important to remember that linen has been used as a textile for thousands of years -  long before the gift of dry cleaning or luxe detergents. Linen is one of the most simple fabrics there are, and its care is actually, very easy.

To Dry Clean or Not 

The answer is no, it's not necessary. Once it's been well constructed, linen can be hand or machine washed. Only tailored articles like linen jackets and suits are best dry cleaned because of how they were made. However, be sure to always follow the instructions on the care label of items. 

Washing Linen Clothes 

Thankfully, linen is a sturdy material which means, again, it's wonderful to machine wash or hand wash if that's what you prefer. Linen quite neatly becomes softer and more absorbent after each wash, but like cotton, it has a tendency to shrink. Thus you must avoid washing it in hot water and wash at low temperatures on a gentle machine cycle.

Pro Tips:

1. If your linen is a dark or a vibrant color, wash in cold water to avoid fading. 
2. Linen is best washed with mild detergent, any product suitable for baby's clothing.
3. Do not use fabric softener and never bleach on linen, even white pieces. Bleach is actually yellowing, and over time, this will show up in your linen pieces. 
4. Always use the gentle cycle and wash alongside similar lightweight or delicate fabrics. 
5. Avoid mixing heavy items like jeans, hoodies or towels in a load with linen clothes. 
6. If you hand wash, avoid wringing the fabric, which will twist the fibres in a way they won't appreciate.

Due to its fast-drying nature and tendency to shrink in heat, your best bet is to air dry your linen pieces. It's also more likely that you will wear your linen in the warmer months, so air drying will be a breeze thanks to the summer heat. You can still feel free to tumble dry linen clothes if you wish, as long as you stick to low temperatures. Next, you'd want to remove it from the dryer when still slightly damp to avoid your linen becoming stiff and hanging or laying flat to finish the drying process. 

To Iron or Not 

Ironing your linen pieces is entirely your choice. Making that choice really depends on the type of garment and where you're wearing it. Now we at WKND Mood love the inherent natural creases of linen; they give the relaxed, soft I'm on vacation vibes. However, we quite appreciate a crisp look for the right occasion. When ironing linen, we advise ironing while the fabric is still damp using a medium-hot iron on the steam setting. 

Pro tips: 

1. To help release wrinkles from linen, dry on low heat using wool laundry balls if using a dryer. Try our favorite balls we sell in our shop.
2. For your white linen, it's fine to iron on both sides, while dark linen should only be pressed on the reverse side to avoid adding unwanted shine or fading your linen. 

If you want your linen clothes to stay pressed-looking for the duration of wear, you can use spray starch for a crisper look and ensure that whisker points like the knees, elbows and crotch don't become impossibly creased as the day wears on. 

In the event you want to maintain the natural rumpled look of linen, but the garment has gotten heavily creased, use a spray bottle of water to eliminate them by lightly spritzing the creased section, laying the item flat, smoothing it with your hands and allowing it to air dry.

Believe us, these steps are worth it if it means you get to wear your beautiful linen pieces with confidence for years and even decades. We're excited about your linen journey, and we hope you are too.