Fine Linen Cleaning Tips

Following are some laundering tips we have received from our manufacturers and customers. 

We hope this general advice is useful for our website visitors, but please be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific fabric and item. 

These tips also may not apply to vintage and antique linens. 

For products sold on this site, specific instructions are included on the items’ care tags.   We’ve also included these instructions on our individual product description web pages for your convenience.

General tips for washable fine fabrics:

Keep loads small

Linens will get cleaner and have less wrinkles when your washer and dryer are not overloaded.

A hot dryer is the enemy of fine fabrics. 

Using the cool or gentle cycle and removing items as soon as they are dry will help prevent dryer damage.

If you need to iron your bed linens, you will get a much better result if you iron them while still slightly damp.

When in doubt, pre-test a small area of the item you are laundering.

Avoid harsh detergents on fine fabrics.  Instead use a linen wash.  We offer Kookaburra Wash at the bottom of this page, or you may find similar products in your local stores.

When handwashing, do not wring or twist as this can damage or stretch out the fabric.  Instead roll the items gently in a towel.

Placing silk or satin items in a pillowcase or mesh bag when machine washing can help prevent snags.

Tips for bed sheets:

Rotating your sheets each week will keep them looking new for much longer.  Switch between two or three sets to help prolong the life of your sheets.

All of the sheets we carry are washable.  Use of a gentle detergent or fine linen wash is recommended.  Use cool or lukewarm water and a cool dryer.  

Drying outdoors is not recommended for silk and satin sheets because the sun can cause them to change texture or become discolored.

Tips for comforters:

Using a duvet cover can increase the life of your comforter.  Duvets help keep your comforter clean and safe from spills and can be easily removed for cleaning.  Using a duvet cover is highly recommended with silk and down comforters. 

When your comforter does require cleaning, have it done by a professional.  Machine washing is not advisable for any of our comforters.   Past customers have recommended professional laundry services in their local areas or online at sites such as http://www.blancplume.com 

Special notes about silk:

The silk sheets we carry are made to be washed, and do well with handwashing or in your machine’s gentle cycle.  Dry on a cool setting only and remove quickly because overdrying can change the texture of the fabric.

Our manufacturers recommend having silk duvets dry cleaned.  Many customers have reported positive results from gently washing their duvets with a fine linen wash, but proceed with caution.  Dupioni silk duvets should not be washed because washing can significantly change their texture.

Silk comforters should never be washed.  Washing will damage the silk fibers inside.  Instead, dry clean or send to a professional laundry.