Linen Care Guide

Your luxury linens have been expertly woven using the finest materials, and with proper care will grace your home for years to come. This simple guide will address everyday care and provide helpful hints to ensure the longevity of your luxury bed, bath, and table linens. Many of our products are made from natural fibers that can be machine-washed at home; however, please be sure to read the care label on each item for best results.

Laundering*

Always pre-wash new linens before using. As fine fabrics are generally not pre-washed, this first wash is important for setting the threads, preserving the fabric’s beauty, and prolonging its life. Be sure to fully unfold, set the machine to include a cold pre-soak, and use minimal liquid detergent. Following the first wash, refer to our Machine-Wash Instructions below.

Use of a fabric softener (liquid or dryer sheets) is not recommended for any fine linens, as it coats and weakens natural fibers. Your luxury linens will soften naturally with frequent use and additional washings.

We recommend using three sets of bed linens in rotation: one on the bed, one in the wash, one in the linen closet. This will allow each set a rest from use and a rest from wash. Similarly, we recommend that you wash matching linens (e.g. sheets and pillowcases) together, as each piece should be cared for similarly regardless of whether or not it is soiled (or even, used) to help maintain color consistency and brightness.

Remove jewelry and watches, or other accessories that may damage fibers while sleeping. The added abrasion can—over time—break down the fibers, possibly resulting in pilling.

Take care when drawing up your sheets or shimmying a pillow into its case: pull from below the hem—not on or above the hemstitch, lace detail, or embroidery—so as not to subject these delicate threads to undue stress.

Avoid laundering fine linens with other items, especially those containing polyester, and items made of heavy material, rivets, buttons, zippers, etc., (for example, denim jeans) as these can damage fibers and fabric.

Machine Washing: Always check the care label before laundering, and separate linens into light and dark colors.

• Do not overload the washing machine, as this can cause unnecessary abrasion to the fabric.
• Most linens can be washed on a gentle cycle in warm water with a cold-water rinse.
• Pre-treat any stains prior to washing; do not use bleach (bleaching may weaken fabric and cause yellowing).
• Use a mild liquid detergent without added bleach, optical brighteners, whiteners, or fabric softeners.
• Do not pour detergent directly on textiles; rather, add it to the water as the wash tub fills or dilute detergent with water, then add linens.
• Do not use bleach—bleaching may weaken fibers and cause them to yellow.

TIP: Unless linens are very soiled, you need only use half the recommended amount of detergent.

Drying: Natural fibers will wrinkle, but there are steps you can take while drying linens to minimize wrinkling. Line drying linens in soft, outdoor sunlight is ideal—it is the most gentle, and the sun provides natural bleaching—though this is not always practical.

• To machine dry, gently shake out and smooth damp linens before placing in the dryer (unraveling any items that may have twisted in the wash cycle). Do not use dryer sheet fabric softeners.
• Avoid overloading the dryer so items will dry evenly.
• Set to the lowest heat—high heat settings will weaken the fibers and increase shrinkage.
• Remove items from dryer promptly and while still slightly damp; smooth and let air dry before storing, or press with an iron while damp to remove any remaining wrinkles.

Ironing: Always check to make sure your steam iron is clean—mineral deposits may build up and cause brown spotting.

• Iron linens while still slightly damp.
• Use a steam iron on a warm/hot setting for cotton or a hot setting for linen
• Spray with water from a spray bottle for stubborn wrinkles, if needed.
• To restore the lustrous face of sateen and jacquard fabrics, iron on the reverse side.
• To preserve the three-dimensional effect of embroidery, iron on its reverse side, atop a white towel to give soft support to the thread work design.
• Linens with delicate lace and cutwork should be ironed beneath a press cloth.

TIP: If you cannot iron immediately, roll linens in a towel or a plastic bag and temporarily store in the freezer for up to 24 hours. This trick will make your linens easier to iron while preventing mildew.

* Does not apply to our duvet inserts. All inserts must be taken to a professional launderer. 

Storing Bed Linens

Natural fibers need to breathe: store bed linens in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, shielded from long exposure to direct sunlight. Linens stored long-term should be wrapped in white cotton, muslin (old pillowcases work well), or acid-free paper. Avoid storing linens in plastic bags, boxes, or in cedar chests which can all cause permanent yellowing or streak fabrics.

Stain Removal

Use these special tips for stain removal, and launder as usual. Do not dry or iron if the stain remains—treat stains until they disappear.

• candle wax: Scrape off as much of the wax as possible with the dull side of a knife, then iron between absorbent paper, changing paper until wax is absorbed.
• coffee, tea, soda: Soak in hot water and pre-wash with stain remover. Repeat soaking process as needed, using fresh hot water and a stain remover.
• white wine: Rinse with Club Soda and pat the stain out against a clean white terry towel.
• red wine: Cover with salt, then rinse with cool water. Repeat as needed with fresh cool water.
• oils: Blot while still wet, then pre-treat with stain remover or liquid laundry detergent.
• grease: Sprinkle with cornstarch or baking soda and allow to sit so the powder soaks up the grease. After the powder thickens, scrape away and repeat the process as needed. Be sure to brush off any remaining powder before laundering.
• meat juice or tomato juice: Rinse with cool water—never hot—and blot with a clean white terry towel.
• ink: Hold stain against a clean white terry towel and spray closely from behind with aerosol hair spray. Ink should transfer to the towel. Repeat as needed with clean portions of the towel, then launder.

Additional Linen Care Notes

Hair and beauty products: Some hair and skin products, such as acne lotions, face creams, or toothpastes that contain oxidizing agents, may cause discoloration of colored sheets and towels. When using such products, it’s safest to sleep on white bed linens.

Shrinkage: All natural fibers will shrink to some extent, but in most instances we generously overcut our products to allow for shrinkage. Do not wash or—especially—dry linens on a hot setting, which is most likely to cause shrinkage. Follow instructions on the care label.

Hand Washing: If the label says “hand launder,” never machine wash. Hand wash in gentle soap; rinse thoroughly in clean water to eliminate all soap residue, then line dry, lay flat (on towels), or hang to dry. Avoid wringing linens by blotting on towels before air-drying.

Dry Cleaning: We do not recommend dry cleaning for our natural cotton and linen products. Dry cleaning is recommended for luxury fibers such as cashmere, merino wool, and alpaca. Dry cleaning helps avoid excessive shrinkage on formal top-of-bed items such as matelassé blanket covers. Be sure to use a professional dry cleaner with experience in natural fibers and luxury linens.