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Linen
does it all.
Why do we prize linen?
Because it is a hardy fabric that breathes almost
like your skin. To sleep between linen
sheets is to be comfortable even in hot climates.
The fibers will
absorb 20% of their own weight without feeling
damp to the touch. Overall,
the fabric can absorb 100% of its weight in
water before it will drip. It also dries
very quickly. That means it is wicking
the moisture away from you, and into the air.
On the table, linen
looks crisp and sophisticated, and yet cleans
up well after spills. Even though the
fabric is highly absorbent, the hard finish
on the actual flax fibers prevents stains from
getting into them, and so it is able to release
the stains more easily than any other fiber.
Linen is great in
the kitchen, too, since it doesn't leave lint
when it dries, making glassware shine.
Clothing made of linen
looks great and wears durably. While it
used to be true that linen just crumpled and
left you looking like an accordion, today's
linen has high-tech finishes and is sometimes
blended with other fibers (like
rayon, spandex or polyester) to
give it increased "wrinkle releasing" ability.
You
can find linen garments at many stores.
The photos shown above are from websites of
different department stores.
Caring
for Linen
The great thing about
linen is that the
more it is washed, the softer and brighter it
becomes, due to inherent properties
in the fiber. That's why linen sheets
were passed down through families, getting more
lustrous as they went.
When it comes to caring
for your linen garments, there's
a trend today to wear some linen "soft"
-- in other words, without a crisp finish.
This is particularly appropriate with some of
the linen blend fabrics, that drape nicely even
when not crisp.
Linen
should be pressed when it is still damp, beginning
with the inside of the garment, and ending on
the outside. This enhances
the sheen that is part of the fiber's beauty.
White linen will stay bright when dried outdoors
in the sunshine. Tumbling linen in the
dryer until it is thoroughly dry is not normally
done, since it can over-dry the fibers.
Be sure to check
the care labels in your linen garments to see
if they are washable, or if you need to bring
them to us. For
the ultimate crisp linen look, professional
cleaning and pressing are suggested.
To
pack freshly-cleaned linen garments for traveling,
wrap them in tissue, or use the plastic bags
that we use to return your garments to you.
This will help to reduce the chance of wrinkling.
When you arrive at your destination, hang the
garments as soon as possible. Most travel
wrinkles will drop right out if you hang the
garment in the bathroom after a shower or bath,
so the steam can release the creases.
You
may be tempted to touch up a
wrinkled, worn linen garment between cleanings
with a home iron. Unfortunately, if there
are any invisible stains in the garment, the
heat from the iron may set them permanently.
What
about spots? As with all
garments, blot a spot with a dry white napkin
if you're at the table, and then don't do anything
else to it. Above all, don't add water
or club soda, since this may affect the stain
adversely. Never rub stained fabric, or
you could remove color, press the stain into
the fibers, or actually damage fibers (as with
silk.) Blot
it, laugh with your dinner companions over it,
and bring it in for cleaning as soon as possible,
showing us where the stain is and telling us
what it is.
Linen garments can
last a long time, due to the toughness of the
flax fiber. In fact, linen is actually
stronger when it's wet than when it is dry --
something few fibers can boast. The fibers
accept dye very easily, so the array of colors
available is great. Enjoy
your linen, just as your ancestors have further
back than anybody can remember. |
