How To Care For Your Pure Linen

Knowledge Base | 28 June 2021

We could go on – and we do – about the wonders of pure linen bedding.

But caring for this much-adored and historical fabric is essential for its longevity in your bedroom (or any other room for that matter).

Discover how to treat your pure linen with every square thread of love.

Linen – let's break it down.

Linen is a fabric woven from the fibres of a flax plant – not cotton.

Flax is a less-known yet intriguing crop used in various ways, such as producing oil, fabric, food and more.

The species grown specifically for linen production is known as linum usitatissium. This translates from Latin into English as "the most useful kind of flax", and we're right on board.

Flax that produces linen has a short-growing cycle of only 100 days (in botanical terms, this is pretty short). In this time, the plant grows into long stems, blooming into a flower for one day only.

Following this, the flax plant is uprooted and stacked into hedges to dry while its seeds are removed.

Finally, the plant is exposed to moisture, combing, spinning, weaving and dying – an exhaustive process with a phenomenal result.

It's the friend with benefits.

For those of you more familiar with sleeping in cotton sateen or cotton percale, both of which have a silkier feel, pure linen bedding can take time getting used to.

But while newly purchased linen may feel coarser than the silkier stuff, the more it's used and laundered, the softer it becomes.

Rome wasn't built in a day, so when it comes to your pure linen, it helps to just give it a few washes – you will be rewarded.

What's more?

Why Nimes, our pure linen range rules:

Super-soft and ever-so-comfortable on your skin.
Absorbs moisture galore – hot sleepers, take note.
Keeps you cool and dry better than any other fabric – again, hot sleepers.
Non-allergenic, using less pesticides and fertilisers than other crops.
Recyclable and biodegradable.
Dream table setting alert.
No ironing is required here – the creases and natural drape add to its appeal #ditchthathousework

Housework done right – caring for your linen.

To keep your linen threads in superb condition (and sticking around for the long-haul), we recommend the following:

Wash in a gentle, cold or lukewarm cycle with mild detergent to protect its fibres.
Tumble-drying when it's new – it speeds up the softening process.
Quilt covers – turn 'em inside-out in the wash.
Remove from your dryer while slightly damp and hang to reduce wrinkles and stiffness.
Stains? Breathe deeply, then remember, any generic stain removers may be used.
Beauty lovers – beware of benzol peroxide, it stains for life. Wash it off before bedtime, or cover your pillowcase with a towel for one night if washing isn't possible.