Stains on Linen

Linen is a wonderful fabric, soft and versatile. It feels light and breezy against the skin, and it is very comfortable in summer. It is a great fabric to wear across a variety of clothing styles, from suits to shirts, and from trousers to smocks. Linen has been in use for over thousands of years, and it has been put to use in such items as clothing, bags, and even mummification by the ancient Egyptians! Linen is sourced from the fibres of the flax plant, and the fibre itself is quite absorbent. But its high absorbency also means that linen is highly susceptible to stains. Since linen apparel is normally a monotone in colour, a stain on it stands out at once. The stain can also be tricky to remove if it dries up. But you can use our tips below to remove the stain easily and without much

1: Stained Linen

Your clothing is subject to stains from many sources, from ketchup to cooking oil. Any stain can leave a permanent mark on your clothing. When you see a stain begin to form on your clothing, or if you are there to witness the impact of a staining agent on your clothes, rush to blot the stain. Blot it with a damp cloth, or a napkin, or even a paper towel. When you blot the stain, take care to dab away from it, not push it deep into the fabric or churn it around. If the stain is thick, or if it has dried, then you can scoop away some of the excess with a soft-edged object like a spoon. This makes the stain area a little smaller. Some stains can be washed away completely when you flush them with water. But do this only if you are wearing something underneath your shirt or skirt. Flushing with water might not work on delicate fabrics like silk.

2: Washing Linen

Vanish is safe on most fabrics, but you should make sure before you use it on linen, just in case. Test a small amount of the solution on linen to see if it causes any discoloration. If you don’t notice any chance in the fabric’s colour, then you can go ahead and use Vanish Oxi Action Gel. The gel works by pre-treating the stain. Use it as directed on the package. It contains twice the concentration of the closest stain removing system. Simply squeeze the gel directly on to the stain, and rub it gently in a circular motion. The head of the gel cap is dotted and has circular beads that rub the solution into the clothing fibres. Now set the garment aside and let it get to work on the stain, for a maximum of five minutes. Once the five minutes are up, you can wash the clothing as you always do, adding a scoop of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder to the detergent. Air dry the clothing after washing.

3: Caring for Linen

While linen is a very durable fabric that is also easy to wash and care for. But it often gets severely crumpled in the washing machine. When you see this happening, take a look at the care instructions on the label. The label will indicate the temperature at which you should iron your linen – higher temperatures are needed to get all the creases out. White linen can be ironed on both sides, but darker or coloured linen can only be ironed on one side of the clothing. Store your linen in a cool, dry place. Packing linen in a cramped cupboard will cause a loss of shape and quite a bit of creasing. Since linen dries quite quickly, it shouldn’t need a tumble dry, but check the label to see if your item is dry clean friendly.