How to Wash and Care for Your Linen Clothes

Let’s talk about how to wash and care for your linen clothes and household linens so they will last for many years. Most of us wear a lot of linen at this time of year. Linen is the most breathable fabric and is perfect for warm weather. So, I thought I would share my tips on washing and caring for linen clothes. When it comes to laundry, I am meticulous about how I care for my clothing. With the proper care, linen clothing can last for many seasons, if not years!

Read your labels for care instructions.

Dry cleaning is not necessary. Occasionally, a care label will indicate that dry cleaning is recommended, but if the garment is made of natural fibers, machine washing with care should be fine. Cool water, mild detergent, gentle cycle, low spin, hang to dry. With good care of linen clothes, I have never had a problem when washing them. 

Use a mild detergent like L’AVANT.

L’AVANT laundry detergent is free of dyes, phthalates, parabens, and fragrances. If you prefer a mild scent, they have a detergent called Fresh Linen. L’AVANT is 5x concentrated, which means it’s easier to use and eco-friendly. They also offer refill pouches that use 75% less plastic than the L’AVANT bottles. You can refill your L’AVANT bottle or any bottle of your choice. 

Buy a bottle and then refill, or start with a bundle that includes wool dryer balls. 

Know your washing machine.

My washing machine is new, and I like the options, but for some reason, each cycle defaults to a very high spin speed. I only use a high-speed spin when drying and cleaning towels and rags. I consider everything else delicate fabrics.

Always choose the delicate cycle and check the spin speed. I select one notch above “no-spin” and cold water unless the garment is white. I often select warm water when washing white clothes, but never hot unless there are stains.

Give extra attention to details like buttoning all buttons, zip zippers, turning garments inside out, and, of course, washing whites alone and colors with similar colors. Remove the garment from the washing machine and return it to the right side out. Hang on a wood or padded hanger. 

Tips on washing and air drying linen pants & linen shirts

When washing linen pants, wash them in cold water, low spin, and hang them to dry, but before I hang them to dry, I stretch the pants. I lay them on a flat surface, stretch each seam, and then smooth out to the original shape. 

Hang the linen shirt fully buttoned on a hanger that fits the shirt, and pull firmly from top to bottom of the button placket to smooth. If possible, hang to dry outdoors in the shade, avoiding direct sunlight, which can harm linen fibers over time.

The best way to remove stains 

Always treat stains right away. If possible, treat the stain with detergent directly on the stain and wash immediately. For really stubborn stains, I use pure lemon essential oil. I add a few drops right on the stain and launder. If the stain persists, wash again using the lemon essential oil and oxygen bleach, like OxiClean. I still use a gentle cycle when I wash linen with stains, but I never dry linen items (or any items) with stains. It will set the stain.

Soak in distilled white vinegar and cold water for 30 minutes before washing. Vinegar also acts as a fabric softener. 

Hand washing

I rarely handwash clothing of any kind. Linen garments and linen fabric, in general, are quite durable if properly cared for. If handwashing is necessary while traveling, wash in a sink filled with lukewarm water. Add a mild detergent and agitate to ensure it’s mixed with the water. Then, soak the garment for a few minutes, agitating the water again. Once the garment has soaked for a bit, rinse well. Never wring out clothing when handwashing. The wrinkles wringing would cause will not release!  Push against the basin to remove some of the excess water and hang to dry on a padded hanger outdoors or in a tub or shower. The good thing is that linen dries quickly. 

Iron or steam?

​Some people, like my mother, press every piece of clothing and every napkin in the house. I am not one of those people. I think that’s the beauty of linen. With meticulous care when washing and hanging linen to dry, I rarely ever have a need to press or steam linen. I think it is a personal preference. On occasion, if a shirt has a crease, I simply steam it out. I love a handheld steamer and keep a small one in my closet.  This one is a great size for travel, too!

How to care for your clothes between washings

We often wash our clothes after every wear, which may not be necessary. I use a fine mist spray bottle filled with vodka to spray my clothes between washings. Since I work from home, I often wear an outfit only for an hour or two, and then when I return home, I change back into workout clothes. Unless it is extremely hot and humid outside, I probably do not need to wash my clothes after an hour or two. I hang them on hangers outdoors and spray them with a fine mist of straight vodka to freshen them between washings. (Note: They do not smell like vodka, I promise)

I use this type of spray bottle. It’s very fine, and the continuous mist makes it easy to mist clothing without getting the clothes wet.

Washing household linens 

We love linen sheets in the summer. Bed linen is the only linen I will use hot water when washing in the machine. And as much as I would love to line dry our sheets, we really don’t have the setup for that, so I dry them in the dryer on low heat. I use wool dryer balls, which is beneficial when drying heavy items like king-size sheets. 

Linen tablecloths, napkins, and dish towels

I wash our kitchen linens with a mild detergent and add distilled vinegar for stains. I shake napkins and dish towels a few times until I hear a “snap,” which seems to release some of the wrinkles. I smooth out the napkins, fold them in half, and hang them on a portable drying rack. 

Pin to read later

If you enjoyed this post on How to Wash and Care For Your Linen Clothes, you may also like:

10 Things You Might Not be Buying at Walmart, But Should

11 Cleaning Tasks that Take Only 5 Minutes or Less

​