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How to Launder and Care for Your Wilet Linen

Posted by Wilet Home on October 06, 2020

So you’re ready to take the plunge with linen, but where do you go from there? Taking proper care of your items (regardless of which room in the house they’re going to reside in) is critical to ensure that your Wilet linen has a long and happy life. Read on for our care do’s and don’ts.

General Linen Care Do’s & Don’ts

Not all linen has the exact same needs, but all of our items have a similar set of laundering and care guidelines. Here's a short list of the essentials before we really get into the nitty gritty.

Do:

Spot test any stain treatment before applying to all of your bedding, towels or Cuisine items. We've had success with some 'unnatural' stain removers, however any textile that is chemically treated will have a shorter lifespan.

Read our Journal post on stain removal. There are some pretty excellent tips in there, if we do say so ourselves.

Empty your lint trap 3-4 during the first few drying cycles. Expect a substantial amount of lint when washing your new linen bedding and towels and always dry on your dryer's lowest setting. We recommend washing your bedding, towels and Cuisine pieces before using for the first time.

Feel free to use warm or hot water on occasion. Although we’re firm believers in the gentler nature of a cold wash, we understand that sometimes you just need a bit of a ‘deeper clean.’

Be aware of what your linen comes into contact with. Colour loss is a potential threat to any fabric and it can be caused by a number of items in your home. Allowing your linen to come into contact with bleach, household cleaners, skin care products and other acidic substances in laundry detergents can cause irreversible damage.

Give your linen some time. It will get softer - we promise.

Have extra fitted sheets on hand to rotate with. Give your favourite sheets time to rest between uses so the fibres don't wear out sooner than expected.

Don’t:

EVER use fabric softener. If your linen isn’t yet quite as soft as you’d like, avoid seeking a solution from a bottle. As fabric softener is full of enzymes that are designed to break down fibres (in turn, making them seem softer), it will cause the lifespan of your beautiful new linen items to shorten significantly. Let your linen do its thing and soften over time.

Be surprised at your lint trap. As linen is washed, it naturally sheds unnecessary fibres which result in increased softness over time. Lint is a side effect of this process and, though will decrease over time, it will always be a part of your relationship with linen. Let your lint trap do its job and be sure to empty it regularly. When washing your linen, be sure to empty your lint trap a few times during its first handful of cycles. Keeping your lint trap nice and clear will help to avoid any machine-related issues.

Use acidic self care items before bed. Discolouration can come from multiple sources, but it is commonly a result of using acidic skin care and hair care products before bed - especially acne products with ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and citric acid. This can cause that pesky colour loss that we talked about earlier.

Overload your washing machine and dryer. Overstuffing prevents your linen from being properly cleaned and can cause discolouration, as the detergent isn't able to freely move around and do its job.

Linen Bedding & Robes

All of our bedding and robes are made from 100% European Linen. This means that all flax used in the spinning and weaving process of our fabric (that later becomes our cozy linen bedding) is grown in Europe. All bedding is stonewashed and preshrunk before it arrives at your doorstep, so there’s no need to worry about any comically devastating shrinkage. Please feel free to wash and dry your bedding as much and as often as you like.

If this is your first time owning linen bedding and you decide to put it in the dryer, be prepared for lint. This characteristic of linen is often unnoticed when laundering linen clothing as it’s almost never preshrunk and, therefore, should never go in the dryer. Linen has very long staple fibres which shed when treated with the heat of a dryer. This speeds up the softening process, but does have the potential to fill your dryer’s lint trap for many washes. If you love linen but can’t handle the lint, then air-drying is the way to go. During your few few drying cycles, be sure to empty your lint trap 3-4 times throughout each cycle.

We like to wash our bedding every two to three weeks in cold water with an all natural detergent (we love Nellie's Laundry Soda). Avoid 'deep cleaning' and enzymatic detergents (especially Tide and detergents containing citric acid) as these will damage your linen and lead to colour loss. As much as you’re going to love snuggling up in your new linen bedding, we do suggest rotating between two to three sheet sets and using a mattress protector to prolong the life of your linen.

Waffled Linen Towels

Flax Bathe 100% linen towels are made from European flax and are stonewashed and preshrunk prior to their arrival at your home. They should be washed alone to avoid lint transfer and potentially coming into close contact with anything that could snag on their soft loose weave.

The loose weave of the Waffle collection isn’t just for looks - it creates a thicker feel to the towel and provides a softer touch. However, this also contributes to some additional lint carryover between washes. Because of this, we recommend washing and drying these towels separate from other items. Wash these bath time babes with a natural detergent, free of aggressive enzymes (these can help with tough stain removal, but can also break down the linen and contribute to speedy deterioration), and tumble dry on your machine’s lowest setting.

Just like all towels, your Waffle linen towels will have a short break in period. Give these babies 4-5 washes and watch them really shine.

The Cuisine Collection by APT

Designed with everyday use in mind, your Cuisine items are meant to be enjoyed no matter how casual or formal the occasion. We recommend all items be gently washed on cold and left to air dry. Although we love a good linen wrinkle, these can be gently ironed if you’re after a more refined look. The only exception to this is The Market Bag, which holds up very well in the dryer and should not be ironed.

Linen’s love language is simple - treat it right and it’ll return the favour. Follow these few simple care and laundering steps and you’re sure to have a fulfilling, loving and lasting relationship with your linen. Unsure of any of the tips or have another question on your mind? Reach out to us at hello@shopwilet.com and ask away - we’re always up for a chat.

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Comments

Wow … I so love the linen sheets … they get incredible soft and pillow-like !! Please to support a great women-led, Canadian company !

Christine Couvelier on July 11, 2023
I’ve had my sheets & duvet for 2yeara now I wash my bedding every week in Nellies and use the oxi bightner also my bedding is clean and super soft upon occasion I wash in warm water for a deeper clean and always always dry on a med dry setting it takes a bit longer to dry big cones out soft and almost wrinkle free! Love ,love,love my linen bedding the ties on my duvet are pretty & look classy my bedroom is my personal sleep oasis ! Soft & heathy sleep !

Tracy Nosaluk on July 11, 2023
Hi, Viv! Although linen is a durable fabric, friction on fitted sheets and the use of fabric softener, enzymatic detergent and aggressive laundering products can cause premature wear.

We suggest always washing your linen in cold/warm water, avoiding washing it with other items that have zippers and things that could potentially snag the linen, using a natural detergent and drying on delicate to help prolong the life of linen.

Our customer care team has sent you an email with more information and to discuss your options.

flax sleep on March 09, 2021
I’ve owned my sheets for 1 year and 3 months and they are starting to tear in some places. I’m really heartbroken because I absolutely adore them and take good care of them. Is this normal? Help!

Viv on March 09, 2021
Hi, Erika! You can absolutely put your new bedding in the dryer. In fact, the more you do the softer it will get.

We recommend drying on the lowest temperature possible and emptying your lint trap 3-4 times during your first drying cycle. All of our bedding is pre-washed, so you won’t have to worry about any substantial shrinkage!

That being said, our bedding can absolutely be air-dried if you have the space to do so. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at hello@flaxsleep.com if we can answer any other questions!

flax sleep on January 26, 2021
Hi!
I am about to wash my bed set for the first time ! It is also my first time putting linen in the dryer. I barely out ANYTHING in my dryer but my towels! So I am here to confirm and have your holy benediction that I can safely wash my set in cold water and then put it in the dryer without it changing at all. I can empty my lint basket every five minutes if needed. But will my set be as soft and feel the same as it is now? Will it still fit my queen size bed normally as pre wash? Lol! Thanks! From a very insecure girl, with love from Montreal :)
E

Erika on January 26, 2021