How To Care For Your Linen
Oct 18, 2021
LifeWear
Tips from a laundering expert.
Silky to the touch, linen shirts are easy to care for because they’re machine washable, but they also wrinkle easily and lose shape quickly, so we asked launderer Yuichi Nakamura on how to launder linen shirts. Here is everything you need to know, from linen’s qualities to useful tidbits.
For preserving the texture and quality of your linen shirts, be sure to:
1. Cold machine-wash only.
2. Only use non-chlorine bleach when needed.
3. Line dry in shade.
4. Iron on a warm setting.
5. Dry clean when needed.
6. Use press cloth. Wash Dark colours separately. Do not soak. Reshape only while damp.
WASHING YOUR PREMIUM LINEN
Linen has a distinctive lustre and feels slightly coarser than cotton does. It breathes well, excels at wicking, and quickly dries perspiration to minimise bacterial growth, so it always offers a clean, refreshing feel when worn. In other words, it’s the perfect summer fabric. However, linen is prone to wrinkling when laundered. The natural, just-washed texture is also appealing, but if you neglect creases and folds, the fabric will become prone to fuzzing and fading in spots. Because it’s a fabric that can be easily washed at home, it’s important to understand the characteristics when caring for it.
1. Gently wash in cold water using the “delicate” course or wash by hand.
Linen is prone to fuzzing when exposed to friction, so place the item in a laundry net and wash using the “delicate” course or similar gentle wash course to preserve the colours and texture as well. When washing coloured items, use a neutral detergent. Consider washing the item separately to prevent colour transfer. Hand washing in warm water alone will dissolve skin oil. If there are noticeable stains along the collar and such, then apply detergent directly to those areas and let soak before washing.
2. Shorten the spin cycle
The spin cycle is the main cause of wrinkling when laundering. When using a washing machine, the regular spin cycle is too long for linen shirts and produces tight creases. Stretching and flattening by hand when drying are insufficient, so the best thing to do is to shorten the spin cycle.
When washing by hand, hang the item to dry without wringing. The fabric will stretch due to the weight of the water and look beautiful when dry. Linen dries quickly, so even if the item is washed by hand and hung to dry dripping wet, it will completely dry on a sunny day. If possible, hang the shirt to dry in the shade.
3. Hang shirts and bottoms on hangers when storing; fold loosely when necessary.
Once the wrinkles have been fully ironed out, use a hanger when storing the item. Choose hangers with thick shoulders to minimise deformation. If you’re going to store items folded, then loosely fold them and avoid placing heavy items on top to minimise wrinkling at the folds.
For many people, laundering simply means throwing clothes in a washing machine and using the same method every day. However, if you change the laundering method according to the characteristics of the fabric and stains, your clothes will last longer and stains will come out easier. It’s possible to enjoy the beautiful texture of linen for a long time with proper care. Properly understand the characteristics, and change the laundering method when necessary. The slightest effort can produce dramatically beautiful results.
Linen is damaged by sunlight. Too much direct sunlight may result in fading and discolouration by bleaching, so hang the item in the shade. If the fabric is thin, be aware that clothes pins may leave marks.
CARING FOR YOUR PREMIUM LINEN
When a linen shirt dries with tight wrinkles, even ironing them out will become difficult. If you like washed-look items in general, then stretch and smooth out the wrinkles by hand before drying. Shirts and similar items look great when they’re crisply ironed, so try adapting the texture to match the look.
2. Dampen tight wrinkles with a mister before ironing them out
Wrinkles are difficult to remove when dry, so use a mister or such to moisten the fabric when ironing. It’s acceptable to iron the items before they’re completely dry. Use the medium temperature setting, and cover the item with a cloth. Use steam as well. Put your weight on the iron while pulling on the fabric and firmly iron out the wrinkles.
Launderer Yuichi Nakamura
One of Japan’s first names in laundering and the third in his family to operate Housensya [sic], a cleaner’s located in Ina, Nagano, Mr. Nakamura offers laundering advice and lessons to households in Japan in line with his vision of “changing the world through laundering.” He is working on redefining what home laundering is about, as he believes many people are mistaking their home laundering efforts for actual laundering. Over 3,000 people, celebrities, and top-flight companies have come to Mr. Nakamura for advice.
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