If you've ever had a linen tablecloth before, there's a chance you've some laundry-related-trauma (LRT). That, or you've resigned yourself to getting them professionally laundered. What if I told you that linen care didn't have to be that hard?
Linen has some MORE tricks up it's sleeves when it comes to laundering. Because it gets stronger when it's wet, it's particularly good at being machine washed. When you first get one of our products, we recommend you wash it with an old towel at 40°C. This makes sure it's clean before you use it.
Washing our comfort masks
We have tested them by holding them in boiling water with a little detergent in for 10 minutes. (Please note, we did not hold them in the boiling water with our hands. We put them in the water and put a small plate on it to hold it down.) We also have washed them in a cold wash and standard wash with our other coloured stuff.
You can tumble dry them, but it can mess up the elastic and if it dries the fabric too much, it can weaken it. Drying them on the radiator is easy and they won't develop any damp smell as linen resists bacterial growth. Alternatively, ironing them dry, or we've even used a hairdryer to dry them (with success actually).
Be careful if you use a hot wash as the colours may run. Don't mix colours and whites. The best way to ensure they are clean is to give them a wash on eco mode (30°C), and boil the mask separately.
How to wash a fever blanket
We haven't boil tested it (yet). Though other linen blankets we've made work well in a 30-40°C wash (I use 'eco mode' for blankets, too.)
If you tumble dry the blanket, you have to make sure not to dry it out too much. Dry it on low heat and take it out before it's done. Let it finish drying naturally. This prevents creases and reduces fabric damage. Also, because nobody wants to have to iron a blanket!
General tips
- 40°C is a good max temperature in a washing machine (face masks can be boiled in a pan if you want, though!).
- Avoid detergents with optical brightening agents (OBAs) - they'll damage the colours.
- Don't use bleach on the fabric. It destroys natural fabrics.
- Let linen dry naturally where possible.
