Printed Textiles & Linens

Every textile lover has their own favorite cleaning method and stain removal. I always start with the gentlest cleaning method and work my way up if further cleaning is necessary. Always soak your linens in a large plastic tub or sink, and never use metal containers. Also, it is important to realize that some old stains will never come out. So unless you can live with it, it is best to avoid purchasing badly stained linens.

If there are a few small stains, I use a stain stick and leave it on for at least a half hour before soaking. After spot treating, soak your item(s) for a few hours in hot water with your favorite detergent. Although some stains may disappear, others will not. Do not use chlorine bleach, as this will only fade colors on the cloth.

When it comes to laundering these items, you can launder by hand in the sink or, if the linen is sturdy, you can use a washing machine on the delicate cycle only. Any linens that are delicate, worn thin, or have holes should be washed by hand in the sink, and NOT the machine. I use either Biz or Oxy-Clean mixed with hot water and let things soak for an hour or more. Swish and stir often, while checking the progress frequently. It is important that you do not soak textiles with rayon, silk, wool, metallic gold, or metallic silver accents in Oxy-Clean. This causes an adverse reaction, resulting in holey and damaged linens. A long soak in regular laundry detergent is a safer alternative for those types of textiles. Rinse thoroughly, in cold water. Rinse again. Rinse again, until the water is crystal clear.

Hanging linens outdoors in the sunshine works well for brightening up whites. One of the safest and most effective methods of cleaning textiles is known as "crofting". Crofting (definition: The ancient method of whitening linen. After being soaked in a solution, the linens are separated on the grass over the sun), otherwise known as grass bleaching has been around for centuries. Simply lay clean, damp linens out on a green, grassy lawn on a sunny day. This will remove many stubborn stains naturally. A natural bleaching action occurs between the sunlight, water, and grass which will whiten and remove stains. Sun both sides equally, and spritz with water if necessary, as the cloth must be wet in order for the crofting to be effective.

Press with an iron. Spray lightly with water or starch if desired (again, using starch is a personal preference). Do not store linens on painted, varnished, or other treated wood surfaces, as chemicals from the coatings can affect the textiles, causing discoloration to the fabric.