Linen bed sheets and pillowcases not only ensure deep and comfy sleep at night but also add a luxurious touch to your room. However, it is not so easy to wash and take care of linen sheets and covers. The fabric is incredibly delicate and exposure to harsh chemicals can damage the soft linen fibres permanently. If you are worried about ruining the fabric of linen then you may get in touch with Hello Laundry, one of the best laundry service centres in London. The professionals at Hello Laundry take good care of the breathable fabric while washing and ironing the bed sheets and covers. Regular washing and cleaning of the bed linen help in maintaining the soft texture of the fabric over a prolonged period. Linen sheets are highly durable and will last long with proper maintenance. Read on to know more about cleaning linen bed sheets and covers to make the bed linen last for years.
Best approaches to wash and clean linen covers and sheets
If you need to add a touch of royal elegance to your bedroom then all that you need to do is invest in a set of beautiful linen sheets. Linen makes the bedroom look both simple and luxurious at the same time. Take good care of the linen by keeping the following tips in mind:
#1 – Wash the bed linen regularly:
Select a day of the week and then wash the linen sheets, covers, and cases on that day every week. Wash the pillowcases, top sheets, and fitted sheets every week with water and soft detergent soaps. Do not worry about eroding the fabric with water. A weekly wash will help in maintaining the quality and texture of the linen.
#2 – Check the temperature of the water before washing the linen:
Do not rinse linen sheets and covers in either cold or hot water. Heat the water slightly to a temperature of about 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the linen thoroughly with lukewarm water. The slightly high temperature of the water helps in destroying germs and fighting foul odours. Make sure that you do not use hot water to wash linen as the high temperature can damage the fabric.
#3 – Try to wash linen by hand:
Rinsing linen sheets and covers by hand puts less pressure on the delicate fibres of the fabric. Handwashing of linen also makes sure that there is no rough handling of the sheets during the whole washing process. However, if there are too many sheets, covers, and pillowcases in the laundry bag, then you may need to resort to washing machines and dryers. The steps of cleaning and washing linen bedding in a washer and dryer are discussed in the next section.
You need to keep the following tips in mind for hand washing linen:
Use lukewarm water to hand wash the linen sheets and covers. Soak the soiled bed linen in soapy water for a couple of hours until the dirt and stains disappear. Wash the fabric by agitating it gently with both hands. Avoid wringing or twisting the linen sheets to prevent damage to the delicate fibres. Air dry the wet linen and store them carefully in bedding boxes.
Steps to be followed for washing linen in a washing machine:
Now that you are ready to wash your linen sheets in the washer, it is time to get down to business. Follow the steps below to wash your linen bed sheets and covers in the washing machine:
- Follow the instructions on the labels to wash the linen sheets carefully. Set the machine to a delicate or gentle cycle to protect the soft fibres.
- Configure the temperature level to “warm”, as hot or cold water can make the fibres shrink with time.
- Use a mild liquid soap to rinse the gentle and breathable fabric of the bed linen. Avoid the use of detergents that contain harsh chemicals and optical brighteners.
- Set the water level to the maximum to allow the linen to move freely inside the drum during the wash cycles. Add a small quantity of liquid soap only after filling the drum inside the washing machine with water.
- Try not to wash the bed linen with other clothes. If you do wash the linen sheets with other clothes, then make sure that the clothes are of light colour and devoid of hooks and zips. It is safer to wash the linen sheets without other clothes.
- Wash the linen sheets and then air dry the wet linen. Air drying of rinsed bed linen helps in maintaining the natural quality of the fibres.
Conclusion
Taking care of linen bed covers and pillowcases must seem to be quite easy now. Invest in a few cloth bags to store the linen sheets carefully. Cloth bags fight moisture retention and help in keeping bugs and mites at bay. Store the washed and dried linen properly, and use the sheets on a rotational basis to ensure careful maintenance of the bed linen.