LINEN CARE
Vintage Linen Care
Laundering vintage linens requires a little extra care. Please follow these recommended steps to prevent damage to your vintage pieces and you will have many happy years of enjoyment.
Be gentle. Set your washing machine on the gentle cycle and use warm water or with more fragile pieces soak in a basin or sink. And absolutely never use chlorine bleach, which breaks down fibers - if you must, only use a cap full in a your wash.
Don't overdo the detergent. I use OxyClean® and Era® liquid laundry detergent. Do not pour detergent over dry linens and always dissolve Oxyclean granuals in warm to hot water before adding linens.
Dry with care — Line drying is preferred. In the absence of line drying, place in a dryer on the low heat - typically this is done for larger items like tablecloths or sheets. Remove linens from the dryer while they are still damp.
Iron sheets while damp. For cotton use a warm iron; for linens use a hot iron and a spritzer or sizing. I usually use a hot iron on everything but silk. I prefer not to use starch because I read once that silver fish are attracted to it and that is what the minut holes or thread bare places could be.
If you need solutions to stubborn stains click on the icon below for a stain removal guide.
If you need a reference for the size and shape of tablecloths for your given table click on the icon below for a size guide.