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How to wash linen clothes and bedding

Wash linen with like colors in warm or cool water on a gentle or normal cycle, in a load with room to move, then tumble on low and take it out while slightly damp, or line-dry. Iron it damp on the high setting. Linen is a flax fiber, a close relative of cotton, so it tolerates water and heat, but it wrinkles readily, shrinks when overdried and is damaged by strong acids.

Best method
Warm or cool gentle wash, low or line dry, iron damp
Time
One wash cycle plus drying and ironing
Difficulty
Easy

You will need

  • Mild laundry detergent
  • Oxygen bleach for colored linen, if needed
  • A line, rack or hangers
  • An iron with a high (three-dot) setting
Rumpled gray linen bedding with a tray holding blueberries and a glass of water

Step by step

  1. 1

    Check the label first

    Many linen shirts, dresses, sheets and napkins are washable. Tailored or lined linen jackets and trousers are often labeled dry clean, because of how they're built rather than the fiber itself. See laundry symbols.

    Why: The garment's construction, not just the fiber, decides whether it can be washed.

  2. 2

    Wash with like colors in warm or cool water

    Use warm or cool water for colored linen and hot water only for white linens labeled washable hot. Choose a gentle or normal cycle with mild detergent.

    Why: Cooler water limits fading, and natural fibers like linen fade more readily than synthetics. White linen can take hot water like white cotton.

  3. 3

    Don't overload the washer

    Leave enough room in the drum for the linen to move freely.

    Why: Linen wrinkles readily. A packed drum presses creases into it that are hard to iron out later.

  4. 4

    Dry on low and stop while it's still damp

    Tumble dry on low and take linen out while slightly damp, or hang it on a line or hanger. Smooth seams, collars and hems by hand as it dries.

    Why: Overdrying is what shrinks linen, and it sets wrinkles deeper. Slightly damp linen is also easier to iron.

  5. 5

    Iron damp on the high setting

    Iron linen while it's still slightly damp, on the high setting (three dots, up to about 200°C or 390°F).

    Why: Linen, like cotton, tolerates the highest iron setting, and moisture helps the iron relax the fibers so wrinkles release.

What linen is, and what it can take

Linen is made from flax, a plant fiber built mostly of cellulose, like cotton. It's strong and absorbent and handles water, heat and normal detergents well. It also wrinkles easily, can mildew if stored damp, is weakened by long exposure to sunlight, and shrinks unless it was pre-treated.

Two chemicals need care. Acids at full strength, such as vinegar or lemon juice, can permanently damage linen fibers, so Georgia extension says to dilute them with 2 parts water first. Chlorine bleach removes dye from colored linen, and the University of Hawaii's textile guide limits it to light or moderate use on colorfast linen, because heavy bleaching damages the fiber. Oxygen bleach is the safer choice for colored linen.

How to get stains out of linen

Linen responds to the same stain methods as cotton, with two limits: no full-strength acids, and chlorine bleach only lightly and only on white or colorfast pieces.

  • Blood: rinse from the back with cold water, then soak in cold water with an enzyme detergent before washing. Enzymes are safe on linen, unlike on silk or wool. Keep it away from hot water and the iron until it's gone; see blood on clothes.
  • Chocolate: scrape off the excess, rinse in cold water, rub in liquid detergent and wash. Treat any brown that remains with oxygen bleach; see chocolate on clothes.
  • Oily marks and food: pretreat with liquid detergent, then wash in the warmest water the label allows.
  • If you use vinegar or lemon juice on a stain, dilute it with at least 2 parts water.

Always air-dry and check before ironing. A hot iron on a hidden stain sets it.

By situation

Wrinkled linen

Wrinkling is a natural trait of the fiber, not a washing error. Wash in an uncrowded drum, take it out of the dryer while slightly damp, smooth it by hand, and iron damp on high.

White linen sheets and tablecloths

Wash hot if the label allows. Oxygen bleach keeps them white; light chlorine bleach is possible on white, bleach-safe linen, but heavy use weakens the fibers. For stored linens that have turned yellow, see yellowed whites.

Colored and printed linen

Wash cool with like colors and use oxygen bleach only. Dry out of strong direct sun, which fades dyes and weakens the fiber over time.

Linen blends

Linen-cotton blends wash like linen. Linen blended with rayon, silk or polyester may need cooler water or a lower iron setting, so follow the label.

Dry-clean-only linen

Tailored jackets, lined trousers and structured dresses should go to a cleaner even if the fabric itself would survive water. Point out any stains and say what they are.

What not to do

  • Don't use full-strength vinegar or lemon juice on linen. Strong acids can permanently damage linen fibers.
  • Don't use chlorine bleach on colored linen. It removes dye, and heavy use weakens even white linen.
  • Don't overdry linen in a hot dryer. Overdrying causes shrinkage and sets deep wrinkles.
  • Don't iron over a stain. Heat sets most stains, especially blood and other proteins.

Other methods that work

Line-drying

Hanging linen to dry avoids dryer shrinkage and leaves fewer hard creases than an overfull dryer.

Caution: Sunlight weakens linen and fades colors over time, so dry colored linen in the shade.

Professional cleaning

For tailored or lined pieces, or valuable antique linens, a professional cleaner avoids shrinkage and puckered seams.

Caution: Tell the cleaner about any stains, and what caused them.

Stain still there?

Linen came out of the dryer badly wrinkled

Dampen it, then iron on the high setting. Next time, dry on low and remove it while still slightly damp.

Linen shrank

Overdrying is the usual cause, and shrinkage can't be reversed. Use low heat or line-dry from now on.

Linen smells musty after storage

It was stored damp or in humid air. Wash it in the warmest water the label allows with a fabric-safe bleach, dry it completely, and store it dry.

Questions

Can you put linen in the washing machine?

Usually yes, if the care label allows it. Use a gentle or normal cycle with warm or cool water, and don't overload the drum.

How do you get wrinkles out of linen?

Iron it while slightly damp on the high setting. Taking it out of the dryer before it's fully dry prevents the worst creases.

Does linen shrink in the wash?

It can shrink unless it was pre-treated, and overdrying is the main cause. Low heat or line-drying keeps shrinkage down.

How do you get blood out of linen?

Rinse it with cold water from the back, soak in cold water with an enzyme detergent, then wash. Don't iron until it's gone.

Can you use vinegar on linen?

Only diluted, with at least 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Full-strength acids can permanently damage linen.

More laundry guides

Sources

  1. Fiber Types, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension (Textiles)
  2. Remove Stains From Soap, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension (Textiles)
  3. Laundering Problems and Solutions, American Cleaning Institute
  4. Laundry Basics, American Cleaning Institute
  5. Guide to apparel and textile care symbols, Office of Consumer Affairs, ISED Canada
  6. Preventing Color Transfer by Bleeding or Crocking, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - AnswerLine
  7. Recommendations for Cleaning Garments and Textiles (AT-1), University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
  8. Stain Removal for Washable Fabrics (HE 2-840), University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.