How to Care for Linen Sheets

Linen sheets are a luxurious and long-lasting choice for any bedroom. But to keep them looking their best and feeling great on your skin, it's essential to give them proper care.

Read on for the best practical tips for caring for your linen sheets that go beyond the care label. These laundry day hacks and time-tested methods will help you maintain your linen sheets and keep them soft and snug for longer.

Covered in this guide:

• Washing Linen Sheets
• Drying Linen Sheets
• Keeping Your Linen Sheets White
• Properly Storing Linen Sheets
• Maintaining Linen Sheets

Washing Linen Sheets

Linen sheets are generally a low-maintenance option for your bedding. But like all natural fabrics, linen sheets must be washed properly to last.

To keep your linen sheets soft and strong, and their colours bright, consider the following whenever you put them in the washing machine.

• Water:
  • Always use cold water or lukewarm water when washing your linen sheets. Hot water can shrink and damage your linen sheets over time.
• Detergent:
  • The best detergents for washing linen are mild ones that err on the side of natural ingredients. Concentrated washing detergents contain harsh chemicals that can damage linen fibres, causing them to degrade more quickly.
  • Choose a mild liquid detergent instead of powder detergent, as these more reliably dissolve which prevents damage and discolouration.
• Machine washing:
  • Machine wash your linen sheets on a 'gentle' cycle to prevent damage from twisting and stretching while in the wash.
  • Wash your linen sheets on their own. This gives them plenty of room to move around in the washer, ensuring a thorough clean.
  • Use more water than you would for a normal load. High-quality linens like our French linen sheets and duvets soften with each wash, but they must have enough water running through the fibres to get there. Using the correct amount of water gives them their iconic buttery-soft texture, so don't overlook this simple tip.
  • If you’re putting on a mixed load, wash your linen sheets with similar colours only.
  • Don't wash linen sheets with other garments with metal hardware or buttons, as these can snag and tear the fabric.
  • To remove stains from linen, it’s best to act quickly either by spot-cleaning the mess with mild detergent and water or washing your sheets as soon as you can.
• Hand-washing:
  • Hand-washing linen isn't necessary, but it is a good option for those without a machine, or if you feel your machine's settings aren't gentle enough.
  • To wash linen sheets by hand, fill a bathtub with cold or lukewarm water and a little detergent.
  • Add the sheets, then using your hands, gently submerge and massage the material. Do not scrunch or twist the linen, as you don't want to ruin the structure of the sheets.
  • Swirl the sheets around for about two to three minutes, then drain the tub.
  • Refill the tub with cold or lukewarm water again and rinse the sheets.
  • Repeat rinsing and refilling the tub until all the detergent is washed out.

Drying Linen Sheets

Drying linen correctly helps prevent damage and maintains its naturally soft texture. Linen sheets can be tumble-dried or air-dried, but if you opt for a conventional tumble dryer there are some important points to remember.

• Drying linen in a tumble dryer:
  • When drying linen sheets in a tumble dryer, always set the heat to a low setting. High heat can cause the natural fabric to shrink and degrade.
  • Always run your dryer for short increments, regularly checking on the linen to ensure it's in the dryer no longer than needed. As soon as your linen bedding is dry, take it out. This might be between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on the size of your dryer.
  • To avoid damaging linen sheets, it's also a good idea to remove them from the dryer while they are still slightly damp and hang them up to air-dry the rest of the way.
  • You can also use wool dryer balls to help your linen sheets dry evenly.
  • When your linen sheets are completely dry, shake them out, then fold them before storing them to avoid overly wrinkled fabric.

If you don’t have a tumble dryer, you can air-dry your linen sheets by hanging them on a washing line or clothing rack.

• Air drying linen sheets:
  • Consider the weather before air drying your linens outside. If rain is on the way, it’s best to dry your linen sheets on the clothing rack inside. Rainwater often contains dirt and pollutants, particularly if you live in a city, which can damage your sheets or leave them with an unpleasant odour even after they dry.
  • Avoid hanging your sheets outside on very windy days. Strong winds can whip up dirt, pollen and even car exhaust, making your sheets smell unpleasant.
  • Avoid line-drying coloured linen sheets in bright, direct sunlight which can fade colours over time.
  • If you need to dry your linens inside, hang them in a well-ventilated area to ensure they dry quickly.

Keeping Your Linen Sheets White

There’s nothing quite so luxurious as crisp, white linen sheets for your bed. Keeping your bed linen white is easy, and there are a few simple tricks that can help them stay as brilliant as the day you bought them.

• Regular washing: Wash your linen sheets regularly to avoid the build-up of body oils and dirt which can yellow and stain your linens over time. For white linen sheets, the ideal wash frequency is around once per week.
• Sunlight: White linen sheets can be dried in full sunlight to help maintain their brightness. Rotate your sheets while drying so that both sides get equal sun exposure.
• Spot clean: Always address stains on your linen sheets as quickly as possible by spot cleaning. Gently dab peroxide stain remover directly onto the stain before washing or add some extra baking soda to the wash.
• Avoid certain bleaches: Avoid chlorine bleach. It can damage your linen sheets and cause yellowing over time.
• Baking soda + vinegar: Add one cup of baking soda to your wash cycle and one cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to keep your sheets looking as good as new.
• Storage: When storing linen sheets away, make sure the space is cool, dry and breathable as this will help prevent your sheets from getting a yellow tinge over time.

Properly Storing Linen Sheets

Once all the washing is done, it’s important to store your linen sheets properly to keep them soft and clean for the next time you want to use them.

• Cool + dry: Always store linen sheets in a cool, dry place to avoid mildew and mould growth. This will prevent lighter sheets from getting a yellow tinge over time, and help your linen sheets last for years.
• Smell: To keep your sheets smelling fresh you can store them in a linen bedding bag or line your cupboard with acid-free tissue paper.
• No plastic bags: Don't store your linen in plastic bags or vacuum bags as they can trap moisture and cause the fabric to become musty and mildewy.
• Use the correct storage boxes: If you’re storing your linen items for extended periods, loosely pack them into specially made, acid-free storage boxes. Avoid plastic tubs and regular cardboard boxes, as these may contain additives that can leech out and damage your sheets over time.

Maintaining Linen Sheets

In addition to regular washing, there’s plenty of routine maintenance you can do to properly care for your linen sheets so that you can maintain their gorgeous look and soft feel for years.

• New linen sheets will often shed at first, and you can speed this process along by washing them in cold water several times before using them.
• This point can't be reiterated enough: spot-clean any stains ASAP. When your linen sheets get stained, spot-clean the stained area as soon as you can to maintain colour and brightness. Peroxide stain remover works well here, as does a mixture of water and mild detergent.
• Wash your linen sheets without fabric softeners, as these can coat the flax fibres and reduce the linen fabric’s breathability.
• If you like a crisp look for your bedding, iron your linen sheets while they are still slightly damp using a medium-hot iron.
• Alternatively, you can embrace the relaxed, lived-in look of linen and let its soft wrinkles define the look of your bedding.
• If you have the time you can even hand wash your linens in lukewarm water with a gentle detergent, as this will extend the life of your bedding.

Conclusion

Caring for your linen sheets isn’t difficult, but it’s important to know how to do it properly so that your sheets can last for years to come. By understanding how to wash, dry, store, maintain, and keep white sheets bright, you can enjoy the soft feel and timeless look of French linen bedding for the long haul.

Whether washing, drying or storing, this guide is always here to refer back to if you ever forget which steps to follow for proper linen sheet care.