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Heaven, light as air,
All their slender stems can bear;
Nodding, swaying, as they float,
Each one like a restless boat;
One would think they'd anchored there
Just to wait till winds were fair.
On their stems they tug and strain,
Longing to be off again.
The ode from Margaret Deland is in honor of flax, the first vegetable to give the world a fibre that was woven into a fabric and worn as a garment.
The natural fabric is Linen: 10,000 years old and so enduring that when archaeologists dig up the mummified remains of Egyptian God kings and queens they know the linen bindings will be as if they were woven yesterday, while every other fabric will have decayed.
The linen wrappings around Rameses 11, who died 3000 years ago, were perfectly preserved when dug up in 1881.
Linen can be as smooth as silk, exquisitely ornate or coarse as rough rope. It can be delicate and easily damaged or so strong as to bind like steel.
It is 20 per cent stronger when wet and has a wide range of uses, from high fashion to ships’ sails, sandals, canvases for painting, and writing paper. It is also thread through the US currency.
In the Bible, angels wear white linen. It’s an emblem of purity and is biblically ordained to be worn by those chosen for eternal life and perfect happiness.
But the immediate concerns for owners of linen garments in the temporal world are that they look good in lined now, not in the afterlife. They’re preoccupied with questions, such as: will it shrink: what washing powder to use, how hot should be the iron, and how can I get rid of all those tiny creases.
There is heavily conflicting advice on how to wash and preserve precious linen garments. An Internet search says the fabric should be washed at low temperatures, usually 40 C, while another says it can be safely washed at 90C.
The best way to go, until you know better from experimentation, is with the consensus – and that says stay around 40 C and beware of anything higher than 80 C because the heat destroys the natural fibre and the fabric loses its shine.
The following remedies to stained linen are drawn from several sources. Don’t consider them to be carved in stone. Be careful. And don’t try anything untested on a one-of-a-kind heirloom.
To remove stubborn stains, steep the garment in a mild detergent or pure laundry soap. If that doesn’t work, sprinkle a little salt on the offending stain. That’s a good way, too, to get fresh red wine stains out of carpet, whether they are linen based or not. Make sure all soap is removed to prevent spotting of the garment.
For heavy soiling of linen garments go higher than 80C with the water, with caution, of course, according to one source, and don’t use bleach. Well, that’s what one expert says. Another advises the use of oxygen bleaches (hydrogen peroxide) for white linen, as Chlorine bleaches can cause yellowing.
Try a couple of tablespoons of cream rinse for your hair in the final rinse cycle to make the garment softer.
Starch linens lightly every few washes to help protect them from dirt and pop a couple of tablespoons into the final rinse.
Treat your linen with care and affection. Don’t scrub it out of existence. Iron while still damp, following the grain on the cloth. Be careful that the garment is not too damp and the iron too hot. It will stain.
Steam ironing is more difficult than ironing a properly dampened piece of linen. Wrap up your washed linen and wack it in a fridge if you cannot iron it when damp, and iron when ready.
Store like wine in a cool, dry place. If red wine gets on Linen, use salt to remove. Use water for white wine.
Washing machines and dryers can be used on linen. But don’t spin dry. Use a clothesline, avoiding direct sun, which can bleach the garment. Roll rather than fold delicate and precious linen because the fibers on the folds can break.
Dry clean suits, jackets and dresses. Toss berry-stained garments into boiling water, says one expert. Treat grease with potato flour and soak over night brushing it off or washing it in soap and water. Just use water on fresh coffee stains.
Linen garments are wonderful to wear. They are light and comfortable and stay cooler than other garments because they can absorb moisture without getting too heavy. The fabric can be difficult to iron because it creases so easily and so minutely. Solution: don’t bother ironing – creased linen looks so good, it’s considered a fashion statement.
And after all that don’t forget: before washing your linen, read the manufacturer’s label.
And here's a great resource we found for advice on the care and handling of fabrics: Rebecca's Pocket
Also: The Irish Linen Guild
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