Is it possible for linen to shrink or stretch when placed in the dryer? Such concerns can give the impression that linen is a challenging fabric to take care of. However, this is not true if you are knowledgeable about how to properly wash and dry linen. Check out our linen care guide for helpful tips.

When choosing textiles for frequent use, products, their quality, and comfort are no less important than practicality. This is where the secret of the linen’s popularity hides – it breathes well and dries well. It is also known for its strength in comparison with cotton fabric, which makes it popular for household textiles such as linen linen throw blankets, tablecloths, or towels.

However, sufficient attention needs to be paid to both – the exceptional linen care guide, so you must know the answers to the following questions:

• Does linen shrink in the dryer? 
• Does linen stretch? 
• Is some special drying for linen needed? 

6 things about linen care

To enjoy the exceptional properties of linen for a long time, it’s also important to give the attention linen deserves. The rule of thumb is to keep your linen fabrics looking beautiful for years to come – check the linen items care recommendation on the label. It specifies the washing and drying of linen textile items which helps to prevent surface fibers from breaking. 

If there is none, or you would still like to make sure – what’s the best for your linen materials, check out the tips below. Being aware of the topics:

• how to wash linen?
• how to remove stains from linen?
• how to dry linen?
• do you need to dry clean linen?
• should you iron linen?
• can you bleach linen?

You can prolong the maintenance of good linen materials’ condition. Either, at first glance, the extremely delicate material linen is very durable if cared for properly, proper care brings important changes to the linen product’s look in the long term. 

1. How to wash linen?

Linen fabrics can be different: thick, thin, lightweight, heavyweight, pre-washed, softened, without any coating, etc. In terms of the overall linen supply, the quality of the material is measured by the length, strength, density, and thickness of the fibers used to produce the fabric. It depends on many factors, including the qualities of the season when the linen is grown (sunlight and humidity) moving to the weaving and finishing techniques undertaken by the weaver to complete the fabrics.

Reflecting on the question of how to wash linen, it is important to note that high-quality linen can be machine-washed and hand-washed equally. 

9 basic rules to ensure the correct linen washing:

• Wash linen at a low temperature – 30-40°C / 86-104°F on a gentle and short washing program.

• Eco-friendly detergents. Recommended washing only with eco and earth-friendly detergents. Conscious selection helps save and take care of the planet.

• Be aware – linen could shrink. Many linen products are usually sold after the first washing, so there is no chance of shrinkage. However, we would like to be more sustainable, support consumption reduction, and save nature, so in the assortment, we have unwashed linen products. We assure the quality of the fabric stays the same if the first washing is done by the consumer, however, it is important to note that, in this case, linen material might shrink up to 5%.

• Use preferably soft water to protect the fiber. Linen, much like cotton, does tend to shrink, therefore, it is recommended to avoid washing linen materials in hot water. You could opt for either warm or cold water, but if your linen is a vibrant or dark color, stick with cold to avoid fading. The gentle machine cycle and a mild detergent could also help.

• Use the softener when doing linen laundry. Though there are some rumors that softener only weakens the fibers in the long term – we assure you it does not. Only bleaching linen with chemicals could have such an effect. Using a softener makes the material nice after every washing.

• Don’t use bleach-containing chemicals as it will remove all the colored dye and you’ll be left with a white patch. It could work for white linen fabric only if the bleach does not contain chlorine.

• Don’t wring, twist, or scrub the fabric, if you choose the hand-wash for your linen items, as otherwise it could be damaged. Remove the water by agitating the cloths gently, drain the soapy water, and rinse the linen home textile until the water is soap-free. As linen fabric gets softer and milder with every wash, there are no restrictions in this area. 

• Use the gentle cycle and wash linen alongside similar lightweight, delicate fabrics. Considering the way linen fibers are structured, it is recommended to avoid mixing heavy items like jeans, hoodies, or fluffy cotton towels in a load with linen items.

• ​​Wash linen laundry in a non-full washing machine so the laundry could move freely and be washed well.

2. How to remove stains from linen?

The main and most important rule for getting stains out of linen is to do it as soon as possible. In this case – every minute matters as the stain is absorbed deep into the fiber, making removal a difficult and annoying task. Considering the question of how to remove stains from linen, it is important to mention that stains like sweat can easily be removed by a washing machine without any specific additions. Less common types of stains could require some extra effort. 

1. It is important to remove as much excess liquid or solids as possible before starting to take care of the stain. Soaking a cloth in a water-detergent solution or washing it with club soda might be the first thing you would like to try, but you can also try to sprinkle some baking soda. Vinegar could also be an efficient remover of stains. 
   
2. If you need to remove some darker stains – whiten any dingy material, lemon juice could help to do the job. In case of fresh bloodstains, you need to apply hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain and rinse the place with fresh water after.
   
3. If you plan to use a stronger cleaner to remove the stain, test it on a less visible corner first. If the color of the fabric does not lighten, you can safely apply the cleaner to the stains or soak the fabric in it without any worries.

One of the most common mistakes you could make when removing stains from linen – rubbing a stain and applying pressure. It makes stains set into linen rather than get out of it. Hot water could also make the stain set permanently.

3. How to dry linen?

It is not hard to understand that one of linen’s best qualities is fast drying which makes linen even a greater choice of material for daily use. However, the concern – does linen shrink in a dryer – is still one of the most common questions we get from clients interested in linen care. 

This is why you must know that washed and pre-washed linen items such as towels can be dried in the tumble on a short/ medium program at a low temperature without any worries. However, it is important to remove laundry from the dryer when they’re still slightly damp so the drying process could be finished naturally. Considering how easily linen dries, it is probably the most environmentally friendly way of drying linen cloths.

Air-drying is also an option that saves on electricity and adds softness to the material even though the linen laundry could also easily be put to dry on a flat towel. To remove moisture, it could also carefully be rolled in a towel without risking wringing linen and removing excess water. The table linens, towels, and other linen items could also be put on a padded hanger for drying as it helps to avoid wrinkles and save linen cloths from ironing. 

To sum up, given how quickly linen textile gets dry, and its tendency to shrink when exposed to heat, air-drying is the best environmentally friendly choice when it comes to your linen clothes. Machine drying is also possible as long as the drying temperature is not too high (medium recommended).

4. Do you need to dry clean linen?

Linen is a natural fabric that could be washed in a washing machine using cold water or by hand. Also, linen items (mostly recommended for structured clothes such as linen jackets or suits) can be dry cleaned.

If you are still considering whether you need to dry clean linen items, check the label on the item first. And you may wish to check on the reasons for choosing a dry cleaning instead of a casual laundry.

• To keep the structure of the linen textile due to the way they are constructed and the lining they might have (for jackets, suits, etc.).
  
• Dry cleaning is the best choice you could make if you want to maintain the quality of your linen materials. After washing linen improperly, it could lose its quality and may feel rough. 
  
• Dry cleaning saves linen from a shrinking possibility. 
  
• Dry cleaning of linen helps to preserve the darker colors of materials.
  
• Dry cleaning helps to keep the primary condition of the linen material after many washes. Constant washing only weakens the fibers and reduces their absorbency in the long term.
  
• Dry cleaning eliminates the need for ironing linen materials since the wrinkles are removed during the dry-cleaning process.

5. Should you iron linen?

The answer to the question should you iron linen laundry depends on your choice – do you need them to look flawlessly smooth? Linen tablecloths as well as linen towels, linen throw blankets, and bed covers might be examples of using an iron. As same as washing, there are a few procedures specific to ironing linen. 

• Iron your linen materials straight out of the wash while it’s still damp to get the best results.
  
• Use the iron only until the wrinkles are removed – you don’t need to iron until the fabric is completely dry to save the material. 
  
• Use the average or high heat setting while ironing – it will make the fabric perfectly smooth. Don’t forget that bright and dark-colored linen should be ironed on the backside to avoid shiny patches or fading. 
  
• Use spray starch for a crisper look, and to ensure that whisker points like the knees, elbows, and crotch don’t become impossibly creased as the day wears on. This is how your linen will stay pressed looking.

If your linen is pre-washed during the production process, it is safe to dry it in a tumble dryer. Just ensure you set the dryer to a low drying temperature and remove the linen laundry while it is still slightly damp. Always try to air dry your linen clothes flat and iron them until it is still wet. 

6. Can you bleach linen?

Reflecting on the concern that can you bleach linen, it is necessary to note – that bleaching is never recommended for linen materials. It could work for white linen fabric, however, it should never be done with chemical solutions such as bleach with chlorine. You should also keep in mind that frequent bleaching thins the yarn as well as shortens the life of the linen material, therefore the fabric itself can tear much faster. The impact of such a process on ecology cannot be ignored either.

The bleaching starts with filling the bathtub or other bucket with cold water and chemical solutions. After putting linen into this water, soak it thoroughly. Linen material could be left in this water for about 2 days or more to get the best possible result.

It is important to note that the water you use for soaking cannot be hot – if there are stains on your linen textiles that you did not notice – hot water will make them worse. After the soaking process, you have to inspect your laundry from the bottom up carefully for more stains. If there are none – use regular mild soap or chlorine-free stain remover, gently rub them off and rinse the fabric in clear, cold water. 

After you finish rinsing, take a separate bucket and mix warm water with a spoonful of powdered oxygen bleach, and heavy-duty detergent (preferably a mild detergent). It is essential to know that the water temperature should not be too high – usually, 30°C / 86°F is enough. Since linen is a natural material, it is also better if you do this process with your hands – not in the washing machine (especially if it is delicate laundry like linen). 

Look at your linen laundry thoroughly after rinsing – if you are not satisfied with the result, simply repeat the washing process. You can wash it twice even if there are no stains left, just to make sure all bleach has been removed.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Washing

Wash linen at a low temperature – 30-40°C / 86-104°F on a gentle and short washing program. Wash with similar colors and lightweight fabrics. A softener can be used so that towels would be softer. Do not use bleach-containing chemicals.

Drying

Dry in the tumble on a short/ medium program at a low temperature. Remove laundry from the dryer when they’re still slightly damp so the towel will not over-dry. Air-drying is also an option that saves on electricity and adds softness to the material.

Ironing

Hot iron if necessary. Iron straight out of the wash/ drying machine while it’s still damp for the best result. Iron on the backside to avoid shiny patches or fading.

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