Linen abuse is allowed in some conditions - he he he

If your linen is new, hard and "tough"and scratchy, then consider our tips for abusing - code word for softening it.

Wash your linen and when it is still wet beat it with a wooden pastry roller or other clean smooth wooden object. beat it and while you are doing it rid yourself of your daily frustrations.

But be careful where you are seen abusing your linen or you may have to answer some questions poised by the local law enforcement folks. Or at least your neighbors will wonder about you.

Yes, linen gets softer and better with each use and washing.

Just don't fold and bend linen tightly or sharply as linen fibers easily break when folded.

Stain removal on linen fabric

Red wine stains should be covered at once with sugar (or salt) to absorb the moisture. If the wine stain has dried, try using club soda to moisten the spot.

Sugar or salt must be wiped off quickly.

The following link has some excellent stain removal recommendations. --click here for strain removal chart --


If your linen table cloth is stained, try washing it in white vinegar. I suggest that you first test a small spot before doing the whole thing. The vinegar tends to neutralize stains and oxidation and is very gentle.

Also try a product similar to Oxyclean as this will more than likely take out the spots. Use a large bowl big enough to hold the cloth use use about 3 big scoops of Oxyclean. For difficult stains soak over night or for a few days. I suggest that you change the water and add Oxyclean several times sometimes after the water sits a while. Use real hot water with the Oxyclean - BUT NOT boiling water.


As with all things, we can not guarantee anything. Common sense applies.

I am not associated with the company manufacturing Oxyclean nor do I endorse this product other than suggesting that you consider using it for your difficult stain removal tasks.

How is the best way to wash linen products?

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Of course it depends on the product and what accessory items have been attached. So this discussion will focus on mostly simple linen products like towels and basic items.

Linen likes water... a lot of water! Cool water, not hot water, temperature 30 °C - 86 °F

Note: it is possible to wash linen in higher temperatures but it wears out faster than in lower temperatures.


So if washing in a machine don't turn the level dial down leave it on a higher setting and don't pack the items too dense use about 1/2 capacity of the wash tub.

Of course don't waste water either, you need to have common sense and a balance on how much water to use.

Linen likes mild soap something like you might wash delicate wools and silk. Also use a minimum amount of soap.

Use oxygen bleaches (hydrogen peroxide) for white linen. Experiment to see how much is needed. Chlorine bleaches can cause yellowing. Chlorine bleaching is not recommended for linen.

Thats a capital NOT, please.

Try a couple of tablespoons of cream rinse for your hair in the final rinse cycle. Linen is cellulose fiber, and cream rinse may make linen more soft and lustrous.

After a basic wash cycle, rinse well and consider a second rinse. Again, linen likes water.

If hand washing, be careful not to add too much soap and to rinse vey well. Removal of all soap will help prevent large brown spots on linen, which are caused by oxidation of cellulose by the residual soap.

For drying, we recommend using a machine spin cycle even if you hand wash.

Try NOT to fold and hand wring linen as linen fibers are long and brittle if bent sharply.

Linen does not like heat so best to let dry naturally. Avoid heated tumble drying, as it increases the possibility of permanent wrinkles and creasing.

We recommend a wooden clothes rack with larger diameter rungs as when linen drys it get creased easily.

Linen may shrink slightly when washed. Hand stretching while wet will return the item close to its original dimensions.

For example, take a towel and hand stretch it taught in several directions to assure the natural shape and then hang on a rack. Over the next couple of hours hand stretch again in several directions.

The linen will dry almost like it was ironed.

If you want to iron linen, use a very hot iron and try to iron it before it dries.

Iron the reverse side first (be sure your iron surface plate is clean); then iron the front side quickly.

Linen table textiles can be starched after the wash to achieve beautifully folded napkins.


For linen pants when you hang them to dry be sure they are folded where you want the seam crease as it will turn out quite good much like those metal pants frames you used to use.

We will cover stain removal in a later POST.

As always, use common sense and keep it simple and your linen will last a lifetime.

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