[dropcap1]I[/dropcap1]f your gorgeous table linen is bright with colour and beauty when you first purchase it but then starts to look dull or frayed, the culprit could be how you’re cleaning and looking after it. Here are some tips.
1. Avoid Your Trusty Tumble Dryer
Using the tumble dryer to dry your table linen can be damaging to it, especially if the linen fabric is made from 100% cotton or contains delicate patterns. Rather hang the linen on the washing line to dry, but avoid placing items under the harsh sun as this can cause their colours to fade. The bonus of not using tumble dryers is that this is much more eco-friendly by saving energy.
2. Boost Brightness without Chemicals
Traditional cleaning agents can be too harsh for delicate fibres, so you need something more sustainable to keep your table linen sparkling this festive season. Put the table linen in a big pot of water, then add half a cup of baking soda and a quarter-cup of salt. Keep the water hot and stir it every now and then. You can leave the items in the water for a couple of days during which it’s important to reheat the water every now and then so that the cleaning products can continue working. Then, rinse them out and hang them up to dry.
3. Important Ironing Tips
Be gentle with your iron if your table linen is creased to prevent nasty burns, which is especially important if your linen has a delicate pattern or eco-friendly dye on it. Use a low setting on your iron and always test the hot iron on an inner part of the linen before use to be sure that the heat won’t damage it. It’s also a good idea to place the table linen on the ironing board, cover it with a cloth and then use your iron on this cloth to protect your linen while getting rid of folds and creases in it without fuss.
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