Guide
Powder pink, barrel jeans and boat shoes: must-haves for your spring shopping list
by Laura Scholz
How to keep your linens lovely for longer
17.5.2022
Translation: Katherine Martin
I don’t want to brave another summer without my favourite pair of linen trousers – which is why I take especially good care of them. Here’s what you need to watch out for when buying and caring for this natural fabric.
Back when I was a linen novice, however, I had a few questions. I’ve since managed to answer them and sum up the most important points here. This way, you won’t need to do any googling or experimenting yourself.
Do I need to buy linens in a bigger size?
What’s the right way to wash linen?
Theoretically, undyed, pure linen can be washed at 60 degrees, while dyed linen can be washed at 40 degrees. For me personally, the former is too risky when it comes to clothes. So that each garment lasts as long as possible, I’m a stickler for checking the care label. They usually recommend washing linen or mixed fabrics at 30 degrees.
Linen is also sensitive to friction, so I choose a gentle spin cycle or a maximum spin speed of 800, making sure not to put any hard or heavy fabrics such as denim into the machine with it. These could, after all, damage or stretch the linen. If I want to be extra careful, I turn the linens inside out and put them into a laundry bag.
And last point, I promise: since linen is highly absorbent, washing it requires a lot of water. Taking this into account, I make sure the drum is only two-thirds full.
Can linen go in the tumble drier?
Does linen need to be ironed?
If you’re careful when washing and drying your linen, and it doesn’t look as if it’s been scrunched up in a drawer for years on end, you don’t necessarily have to iron it. Subtle creases are, after all, part of linen’s casual charm. In German, there’s even a term for it: «the noble wrinkle».
If you do want it to be smooth, turn it inside out and iron while it’s damp to fend off shiny spots and get the best results. But let’s not kid ourselves: linen is so susceptible to creases that new ones are bound to pop up again when you’re wearing it – even after just a short time. The best thing to do is simply learn to appreciate the look, or stay away from it altogether.
So when is linen really worth ironing? If your linen garment has shrunk, stiffened or become misshapen through washing, grabbing a steam iron will help whip it back into shape.
Header image: Jacquemus / Imaxtree
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
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