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Can you Dry Clean Linen?

Linen fabric is known to be very durable and breathable, offering a comfortable feel on the skin. Clothing pieces made out of linen are often reached for during the warmer months, especially on summer adventures and trips, because they dry very easily and are highly moisture absorbent. Dry cleaning is often used to maintain the quality of the linen and also because it is not very time-consuming.

Linen clothes can be dry cleaned while using this method. Dry cleaning will ensure the elimination of wrinkles and creases as opposed to washing them. In fact, it is proven that this way of cleaning is the most effective and practical when it comes to linen.

Key Takeaways

  • Linen garments dries very easily, which makes it not resistant to wrinkles and shrinking.
  • There are three methods of cleaning linen: machine washing, hand washing, and dry cleaning.
  • Washing pieces made out of linen and then ironing them may be more time-consuming than dry cleaning. If washed incorrectly, linen pieces can be damaged and lose their structure.
  • The same can be said with ironing, you want to look good in that linen shirt you planning to wear or that wedding linen dress, do things with caution.
  • With proper care, linen pieces that are dry-cleaned can be easier to maintain.

Linen Fabric Characteristics

The fibers of the linen clothes are made out of flax plants which makes it a very strong and durable fabric. At first glance, it may seem that linen is similar to cotton. However, linen is not as stretchy as cotton, and it tends to feel and appear stronger than cotton. Also, linen is more expensive than cotton, and it is usually used to make clothing suitable for summer and to make fabric blends. The most distinctive characteristic of linen is that it wrinkles very easily, which makes it less practical compared to other fabrics on the market.

This may be the reason why some people start to avoid buying linen after wearing it a couple of times, although it looks very nice and polished. Linen clothes dries very easily and can be washed as many times as needed. In fact, the more it is washed, the softer it gets. It is also highly moisture absorbent which makes it breathable and comfortable to wear without the possibility of unnecessary moisture or sweat sticking to the skin. Linen is known to be antibacterial and ecological, as well as not causing any skin irritations. Many people love wearing linen clothing and underwear because of its lightweight feel and put-together look.

Washing vs. Dry Cleaning Linen

Before washing or cleaning any piece of clothing or fabric, it is very important to read the labels on it because not every item is recommended to be washed the same way. When using a washing machine, the pieces made out of linen fabric should be washed separately from other fabrics. Also, using hot water to wash linen may result in the linen fibers getting weaker as well as the possibility of shrinking the item, so yeah although it can be machine washed or hand washed, take it easy with the hot water.

It is better to wash linen clothes with lukewarm water or, even better – cold water. If you choose to hand wash linen it is recommended for the item to be soaked in first for a couple of minutes and then wash it gently using mild detergent without scrubbing or scrunching too often. Apart from these two methods of cleaning linen, there is also dry cleaning. People either go for pressing the linen fabric or putting it in the dryer at a low temperature.

The clothing pieces that are usually dry cleaned often have some structure to them, such as blazers and jackets. In contrast, other pieces of clothing made out of linen that are correctly manufactured are usually machine or hand-washed. The labels on the pieces of clothing are there for a reason, and they should be read and understood to ensure the long-lasting quality of the items. Linen pieces look amazing only if they are taken care of in a proper manner.

The Best Way to Clean Linen

Taking care of our linen clothing and making sure it is long-lasting is very important. No one wants to replace their items over and over again because they have been ruined due to inadequate methods of cleaning. Reading the labels on the piece of clothing is significant in order to ensure quality maintenance. Linen fabric requires a certain level of care, but it is not as time-consuming as it may seem.

If it is washed incorrectly, there is a possibility of losing the crispiness and freshness of the item as well as its refined look. Because of the fact that linen wrinkles very easily, placing it in the dryer on low heat may eliminate some of the creases, making it easier to iron afterward and giving it a softer feel. The best-proven way of pressing or ironing linen is doing it while it is still slightly damp. This makes it easier to get the wrinkles out, guaranteeing a smooth appearance.

Linen dries very easily, and that is the reason why it is prone to wrinkles. To ensure that the piece made out of linen stays pressed and smooth throughout the day, use a spray bottle on the areas that crease, letting it air dry. The best and most gentle way of taking care of linen is dry cleaning it. If using a dryer, remove the pieces made out of linen while they are still damp to ensure an easier ironing process.

Final Words

The natural fibers of a linen garment make the pieces look very sharp and crisp, giving an effortless appearance. However, linen fabric wrinkles very easily, and it may seem that no matter what you do, it will still appear that you didn’t even try to iron it. For that reason, there are a couple of methods for cleaning linen and the most effective one is dry cleaning.

Some people may not even be aware that you can dry clean linen, which is why they often struggle with maintaining the pieces by only washing them. Washing linen clothes is always justifiable because it becomes softer after every wash and looks very nice. But in spite of that, dry cleaning linen is a more practical way of doing it because it does not take considerable time and effort while ensuring the best possible look and feel.

There’s also a guide on how to store sweaters. You will also find a comparison between Cotton and Linen. Or, if you wonder how cotton compares to wool.