Caring for Your 100% Linen and Hemp Bedding

100% linen bedding is different from cotton, completely different. Here you have a beautiful fabric that is made from the fibres of the stems from the flax plant, rather than the flowers of the cotton plant. While both are perfect for making bed linen, they need to be treated slightly differently to get the best from them. Linen is hardy and simple to look after, but can feel very different from piece to piece and the way that it is laundered and dried can change its touch dramatically. Unlike cotton, linen can absorb a fair amount of moisture without feeling damp on your skin, which makes it a great fabric for bed linen, especially during warm weather.

We don’t talk about thread counts when we are talking about linen, as the count would be very low compared to cotton, because the threads are naturally thicker than cotton. Weight however can vary a great deal and we have selected a heavier weight linen (165-200gsm) for longevity.

We have added a laundered finish, but it's not over-laundered so that you can enjoy your linen for many years. Over-laundering will wear the fabric more (this is essentially what a laundered finish is) and may shorten the life of your linen.

You may see slubs in the fabric of your new linen, this is completely normal and part of the charm of the fabric. As we hem and finish each piece before it is laundered, you might find the odd bit of fluff inside or on your mattress when you strip the bed. This is completely normal and should be gone with the first wash. Linen, unlike cotton, is unlikely to pill.

Each individual piece of our 100% linen bedding has been piece dyed and laundered. This means that it is dyed after it is hemmed, which gives it that unique rustic finish and makes every piece slightly different. You can expect the piece to look slightly ‘worn in’ when it arrives. This also makes it feel super soft and tumbled.

Your linen will get softer over time and with washing. We've tried lots of washing and drying with our linen and have the following tips...

Washing and Drying Your Linen Bedding 

If you like your bed linen to be super buttery soft we recommend a cool wash with fabric softener, 30 degrees should be ample, but 40 will be just fine too on a gentle setting. You can wash linen on very high temperatures, but this makes it stiffer when dried. Because linen holds a lot of water, we recommend giving your 100% linen an extra spin to remove as much water as possible. This will help remove any minerals that might affect the feel of your linen, and also help reduce the drying time.  To dry, tumble dry on a cooler temperature with a tumble dryer sheet, or line dry. These steps will keep it super soft. If you would like to iron your linen (not at all compulsory) it will iron really well when it is still a little damp. 

If you like your linen bedding to be stiffer, washing it as normal without a softener and drying it flat or on a line will give it a lovely crisp feel. It will get softer as you sleep in it though. 

Ironing Your Linen Bedding

Ironing? Well, one of the best things about 100% linen bedding is that you don’t need to iron it. Hooray! The idea is that it has a tumbled look so unless it has become really crumpled in the dryer, you can throw it straight on the bed and jump in. If you would like to - perhaps you love ironing, or you are after a smarter look - use a medium hot iron. Iron darker coloured linens (French Blue, Charcoal) on the reverse. Ironing your bed linen will make it flat and smooth.

If you have direct sunshine in your room, try to rotate your dark coloured linen so that it doesn’t fade in one place.

We are constantly learning and trying to improve our advice on washing and caring for our bed linen. If you have an experience, or a tip that we can share, we would love to hear from you. You can e-mail molly@secretlinenstore.com, so we can share your expertise and and learn from you too. 

Most importantly, enjoy it; snooze and revel in this unique wonderful fabric. 

Still tossing and turning over which fabric is best for you? Then read our article - The Luxury of Cotton or The Laziness of Linen: What to Choose?