Linen is one the most favorable textile in summer by most of the people. There are tons of reasons that this kind of fabric is popular and used from clothing to households. It is known as one of the world’s strongest fiber because of its duration. However, it takes some time and efforts to know and use linen clothes in the right way because linen is a special fabric. If you are interested in this kind of textile, some facts and tips below will help you have an overview of it.
What is linen?
Like anything else, linen has a history that stems from 10 000 years ago. People use linen for centuries to make clothing and bedding, tablecloths and towels. Different from cotton, linen comes from flax plant that is approximately 30% stronger than other fabrics. The first time you touch linen, it can be crisp and tough. But through time and use linen will be softer and more flexible.
Benefits of linen fabric
If you once use linen clothes or bedding, you may know some of its characters, but here are some more.
Linen is absorbent very well, up to 20% of its weight in water. As a result of this, linen clothing or towel is used much in the summer.
Linen is breathable that can dry out quickly and doesn’t stick to the body. Especially for bedding, it gives a comfortable feeling and better warm sleep during summer months.
Wash linen clothes
There are two ways you can wash your linen things that by washing machine or by hand. If you don’t have time and tend to wash linen in the washing machine, make sure adjust the gentle cycle function. And select the maximum water level so that your clothing can move freely. Moreover, do not crowd too many clothes at once because it can twist and pull the linen fabric out of shape. And one thing to remember is that sort out your clothes into the same color to your linen.
If you wash linen by hand, use soft movements and never twist or scrub the fabric. For the best result, wash linen with warm water temperatures, not too hot or too cold. If you are afraid that it will shrink, it does actually. Because if your linen thing is not prewashed before, it will shrink a little bit after first wash no matter what temperature you use.
Dry your linen clothes
To use linen clothes in the right way, if your linen things are pre-washed during a production process, it is safe to dry it in a tumble dryer. Make sure that the drying temperature is low and take it out while it is still slightly damp.
Remember that always dry your linen clothes in a flat shape. If you use hangers or clothespins, it can cause marks on the fabric surface and also cause deformation of the texture.
If you want to iron the linen, iron your linen clothes while slightly damp. And because the linen is creasy by its nature, don’t take much effort to iron it too much.