Product care

Towels

We recommend that your new towel purchase should be washed before use.
Please always follow the washing instructions placed on the label of the towel.
If you see a stray pulled loop on your towel please cut off with a pair of scissors, this will not damage the towel.
The Irish Linen Store suggest using detergent specifically for colored towels and to avoid brightening detergents, this will affect the towel color.
Bathroom detergents and some beauty products such as cleansers contain bleaching agents and may cause permanent discoloration to your towel.
Fabric conditioner will reduce the absorbency of the towel, as this coats the yarn making it less efficient.
Please do not dry clean your towels.

Bed Linen

Be gentle when laundering linen: use a gentle wash cycle or handwash and use just a little gentle soap. We like Ivory Snow (powder), but some people swear by Woolite, some people like Orvus Quilt Soap (available at some Quilt stores as well as many Saddle and Tack shops!) and some even use their favorite shampoo. Whatever you use, follow the package directions. Place delicate, embroidered or fringed linens in a lingerie bag before putting them into a washing machine.
Use cool to warm, not hot, water. Wash colored linens in cool water. Soft water is important: Hard water forms a soap scum that make linen stiff and dull.
Launder stains when fresh. If allowed to set, stains may be permanent.
Use oxygen bleaches (hydrogen peroxide) for white linen. Experiment to see how much is needed. Chlorine bleaches can cause yellowing.
Try a couple of tablespoons of cream rinse for your hair in the final rinse cycle. Linen is cellulose fiber, and many of our customers swear this makes their linen more lustrous.
If hand washing, rinse very thoroughly. Removal of all soap will help prevent large brown spots on linen, which are caused by oxidation of cellulose by residual soap.

Drying

Several drying methods are recommended for linen.
Line drying.
Machine drying.
Rolling in terry towels.
Drying on the lawn!
Whatever method you use, bring the linen in while it is still damp.
If linen dries thoroughly, it may become brittle, taking several hours to recover its natural moisture and flexibility.
Don't wring wet or damp linen before drying, it breaks the fibers.

Cotton

For white and colored items (depending on how dirty they are), you will find that a 40° C or 60° C washing program with detergents will be sufficient to eliminate germs.
The lower temperature will also save energy.
Unless the label tells you otherwise, white cotton linen and towels can also be washed at 95°C using a detergent for whites.
Spinning does not harm most cotton products.

Using Detergents

To help preserve the color of bedding and other colored cotton products, you should wash with a detergent that is especially prepared for colored items and does not contain a brightening agent.
If you do this, you will find that strong colors stay brilliant and pastel colours keep their delicate nuance.
Read the instruction manual supplied with your washing machine to ensure that you use the correct amount of detergent according to the volume of materials being washed.

Drying Cotton

Tumble drying is recommended for sheets, but at this time of year why waste the energy? Nothing beats the smell of sheets that have been air-dried outdoors and on hot sunny days it can take less than half an hour to get a set of cotton sheets bone dry on the line. A shady spot is preferable to prevent dyes from fading.

Pressing Cotton Sheets

Set your iron to the manufacturer-recommended temperature.
Fold flat sheets in half along the long seam, match and smooth the edges.
Lay the sheet lengthwise across the ironing board.
Beginning at the top, use long, quick, lengthwise strokes and medium pressure to press the sheet flat.
Press pillowcases using the same technique, but skip the folding.