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Linen cleaning is a delicate job, and no one really is an expert on how to handle it. Most people get their linen cleaned by professionals or just ruin them through misuse and neglect. Others don’t even use it for fear of spoiling them. Therefore, it’s a good idea to learn how to care for your linen. The older linens are made from fine materials, and require more delicate handling because they can be damaged irreparably. If you do not learn the correct method of cleaning heirloom linens, you will destroy the linen so that no one else can ever enjoy it again. And it is just a shame to store away old linens like museum pieces for fear of ruining them. The fact remains that using old linens is a great way to breathe some life and charm into your décor while adding a distinctive piece of character to the space. Although it can be time consuming and somewhat tedious, the extra effort put into maintaining and cleaning your old linens will more than be worth it when you can pass it down to your children in the same shape as you inherited it. The first step in caring for quality linens is to keep a watchful eye out for dirt and the damage it can cause. If dirt is allowed to set in, it can literally dig into the fibers and cause irreversible damage. So, as soon as you spot some dirt, remove it by using a vacuum cleaner on the textile. You can consider placing a fiber glass screen over it to protect the fabric if it is exceptionally fragile. Most importantly, do not store away linen that you know has already become soiled. The linen must be cleaned before you store it in order to prevent insects from damaging it. Insects searching for grease and food can destroy your fine linen in the process. While cleaning the linen you have to make sure that the color, strength, or shape of the fabric does not change. So, you can use water to clean cotton fabrics. Washing will help reduce acid build-up and make the fabric become more flexible in the process. You should not use water to clean wool or silk fabrics because water tends to weaken these fabrics making it harder to remove dirt. You want to use a mild soap when cleaning fine linen as harsh chemicals will almost certainly cause damage. Plus, in order to avoid learning that the colors bleed the hard way, try dabbing a few drops of water in some obscure place on the linen and allowing it to dry to see if fading occurs. It is advisable to avoid taking your fine linens to the dry cleaner. The fabric can be damaged by the high temperatures involved in the dry cleaning process. Whatever method you use, it is important that the fine linens be carefully cleaned and stored so that your future generations get a chance to treasure and enjoy them as you did.
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Elizabeth Voke is the owner and operator of F linen, a fantastic resource for information about linen. For questions or comments about this article why not visit: www.flalinen.com/articles Click here to get your own unique version of this article from the linen beauty Articles Submissions Service
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