Linen is a very strong fabric. With a minimum amount of proper care, the natural beauty of linen is easily maintained and can last for many years. Linen increases in strength when wet, which is why it stands up to the rough and tumble of repeated laundering so well. Linen is a strong natural fiber. Irish linen wears extremely well and can maintain the special qualities throughout its long life through normal household use. The more linen is washed the softer and more luminous it becomes.  Linen softens and wrinkles less as it ages.

WASHING / DRYING AND PRESSING YOUR LINEN OR LINEN BLEND PRODUCTS

Please always ensure you check any specific care instructions, like ‘wash separately’ or ‘wash with like colors’. If not, colorfast colors may bleed, fade, or migrate to other areas of the garment, or other items in the wash load. There are also may be specific instructions for certain types of linen for ‘dry clean only’.

1. For fringed towels, secure fringe together using a hair band.
2. Wash your linen as soon as possible after a spill or spot.
3. Machine-wash cold, gentle cycle in like colors – temp of 86°F/30°C.
4. Never apply any soap/detergent directly to fabrics while still dry.
5. Do not bleach.
6. You may use a mild detergent or soap. We offer the signature Le Blanc linen care products used for laundering luxury and everyday washable and colorfast linens and apparel.
7. Do not use fabric softeners.
8. For spot treating, do not pour any detergent directly on the fabric without wetting the fabric first. Always dilute any cleansers with water even when spot treating.
9. Remove fabrics promptly from the washer and dryer, and smooth them out to reduce wrinkling.
10. Dry naturally and do not tumble dry. It is best not to tumble dry linen as this can over dry the fibers and makes ironing more difficult. A line or rod is perfect for larger items or just lie flat to dry for smaller items. If you wish to use a dryer, use a delicate air-dry setting and never dry completely. Always remove linens from the dryer while still slightly damp. Do not over-dry. Use a short cycle setting as linen dries quickly. If you smooth the wrinkles out with your hands at this point, then pressing becomes even easier.
11. Iron on medium heat, reverse side while slightly damp (easier).
12. For embroidered products, it is best not to iron directly on the front-side of the embroidered embellishment so as not to ‘flatten it’). You can do so gently from the backside of the linen.  You may wish to iron the product on top of a terry towel so that front side embroidered embellishment can softly lay between the toweling versus flattening on a harder surface underneath.

We highly recommend Le Blanc Linen Wash for fine linens.  Many everyday detergents found in retail superstores contain bleaches and other harsh chemicals that can cause the fibers in fine linens to yellow, break down, or create holes in the fabric. Le Blanc Linen Wash was created out of the necessity for a cleanser in which to safely launder fine linens, such as household bedding, table linens, and antique linens.

Le Blanc products have a neutral pH formula specifically designed for the preservation of all fine washable fabrics; they are free of bleach, caustics, phosphates, sulfates, enzymes, parabens, environmentally friendly and never tested on animals. Though Le Blanc products are gentle on all fine washable fabrics, they are triple concentrated so only a 1/4 cup is needed to be an effective stain remover against red wine, coffee, perspiration, blood, makeup, and more. Since 1985, Le Blanc has manufactured and distributed only the highest quality products.

STORING YOUR LINENS

General linens can be folded neatly. If you can, store tablecloths without folding. Linen tablecloths store best when rolled to avoid wrinkles. Storage should be dry and away from light with some air circulation. Avoid cupboards with heating pipes running through them or cedar linen chests, as these can discolor linen. If by mischance your whiter linens become discolored, wash as soon as possible and dry in the sun to whiten again.

REMOVING STAINS FROM YOUR LINENS

Fresh stains are the easiest to remove. Heat permanently sets stains, so make sure they are completely gone before placing in a dryer.  When using Le Blanc linen wash products, try these steps:

STAIN REMOVING:  Wet the entire item using cool or tepid water. Apply a few drops
of product on the stain and gently rub the fabric against itself until the stain is almost
removed. Follow by soaking the item in Le Blanc products for at least twenty minutes and
then hand or machine wash the entire item. Do not spot treat one area of the fabric
without immediately washing the entire item with their product. Tough stains may
require overnight soaking. When restoring antique linens, it is safe to soak the item for
days, but it is recommend that you change the water and add more cleanser to the
basin daily.
HAND WASHING:  Use a capful of cleanser in a basin of cool water and soak item for
at least twenty minutes. Follow by rinsing the entire fabric thoroughly.

As the water is absorbed by the fabric, the linen fibers swell, and offer a good amount of stain removal simply by soaking in water and changing periodically to keep it warm (can be up to a week is needed for old stains/yellowing).

Use these wash and care instructions to enjoy your linens for a long time to come.

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