Linen pants maintenance

[kolecho]

Does pressing without starch on a frequent basis do any harm to Irish linen?

I do not intend to use harsh hotel laundry on my linen pants when travelling, but they will need some pressing when unpacked.

 

[j]

As long as they're not soiled at all, a light press at lowish temperature seems to be okay on linen. If there's any oils or dirt on them though, that's a bad idea.

 

[horton]

For what it's worth, my tailor (real tailor, not just alterations) said that heavier weight high quality irish linen will soften with cleanings in a desirable way. That is, unlike a lot of quality garments which should only be cleaned when soiled etc. it seems irish linen may be an exception

 

[meister]

Thanks I have a few Irish Liinen suits like that and will remember this advice.

 

[TheHoff]

From Ferguson Irish Linen (amazing bedsheets)

With a minimum amount of proper care, the natural beauty of linen is easily maintained. Linen is the strongest natural fibre known to man, and of all textile fibres is the one which washes best. Irish Linen often becomes a family heirloom as it wears extremely well and is able to maintain its special qualities throughout its long life. The more linen is washed the softer and more luminous it becomes. Provided a few simple rules are followed, linen will remain in pristine condition for years, through normal household use.

Caring & Storing

Laundering
Linen increases in strength when wet, which is why it stands up to the rough and tumble of repeated laundering so well. Commercial soap powders and liquid detergents can be safely used but as with all other textiles, always test for colour fastness. Avoid detergents which contain Optical Brightening Agents (O.B.A.) as they may cause colours to alter slightly and will detract from the appearance of the subtle white linen damask pattern. O.B.A. is particularly deleterious to natural unbleached linens.

Please avoid using bleach as a cleansing agent. This is any natural fibres worst enemy. Misuse can significantly degrade and weaken the fibres. Be careful in choosing your laundry, as poor laundries may cut corners by using bleach in too high a concentration as a cheap and easy way to help whiten the linen.

Due to its sheen and smooth surface, linen releases stains easily, although it is advisable to work on very stubborn stains before washing.

The following washing cycles can be used:

1. White linen articles without special finishes may be washed at 95°
2. Linen without special finishes, were colours are fast at 60°C. (For 1 and 2 above 50° wash is usually effective).
3. Linen were colours are fast at 40°C but not at 60°C should be washed at 40°.
4. Fine hand-embroidered linen needs to be treated with care and should be hand washed or machine washed at 40°.


Caring & Storing

Drying
Never tumble-dry linen as this can over-dry the fibres and makes ironing more difficult. Linen naturally dries quickly anyway. So spin and line dry.

Ironing
Always iron linen when damp, first on the wrong side to eliminate creases and then on the right side if you wish to enhance the fabric’s natural sheen. There is no need to use starch except perhaps for the finest linens, for linen has built-in crispness. If the linen has already dried out before ironing, use a water spray to re-dampen it. A good steam iron will work best on linen.

 

[Dewey]

Bumping an old thread. I have some Irish linen trowsers from Brooks Brothers. I want to throw them in the laundry machine for a cold wash. And then I would line dry and iron them.

But the tag says "dry clean only." WTF? Why should I have to dry clean irish linen? Could the linings be that dainty?

 

[JayJay]

I wash my linen trousers and hang dry. I've done this over the years, even with dry clean only slacks. However, linen slacks do fade over time with laundry where as dry cleaning prevents this.

 

[Dewey]

Color fading -- ok. That must be why they put the dry clean only tag in there. That, or to make the pants look worth more money. Mine are british tan so I think they will be ok. thanks jayjay

 

[philosophe]

My guess is that waistband in your BB pants won't like the washing. It's fine to wash linen, and I've never had any problems with shirts or linen jeans. Garments with more construction are made with different materials, and those materials may not all take to water the same way.

 

[Dewey]

^ I wondered if that might be the case. They look like cotton though. I have some other linen dress pants that are tagged "machine wash cold" etc. I will compare the guts and see if there's a noticeable difference.

 

[Orsini]

Originally Posted by Dewey

Bumping an old thread. I have some Irish linen trowsers from Brooks Brothers. I want to throw them in the laundry machine for a cold wash. And then I would line dry and iron them. But the tag says "dry clean only." WTF? Why should I have to dry clean irish linen? Could the linings be that dainty?
I recent thread regarding cotton slacks with "dry clean, only" specified indicated that this may be due to the risk of different components (the lining, for instance) shrinking at different rates if laundered.