Linen is the strongest natural fibre known to a man, and of all textile fabrics is the one which washes best. The more linen is washed the softer and more luminous it becomes.

The following washing cycles can be used:

White linen articles without special finishes may be washed at 95°

Linen without special finishes, where colours are fast, at 60°C.

(For 1 and 2 above 50° wash is usually effective).

Linen, where colours are fast, at 40°C but not at 60°C should be washed at 40°.

Fine hand-embroidered linen needs to be treated with care and should be hand washed or machine washed at 40°.

Drying

Never tumble-dry linen as this can over-dry the fibres and makes ironing more difficult. Linen naturally dries quickly anyway. So spin and line dry.

Ironing

Always iron linen when damp, first on the wrong side to eliminate creases and then on the right side if you wish to enhance the fabric’s natural sheen. There is no need to use starch except perhaps for the finest linens, for linen has built-in crispness. If the linen has already dried out before ironing, use a water spray to re-dampen it. A good steam iron will work best on linen.