How to Bleach Linen
Soak the linen immediately., Treat stains., Wash the linen., Rinse the linen thoroughly., Check to see if the linen condition has improved., Allow linen to air dry.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Soak the linen immediately.
For linens with stains, it is best to set them soaking as quickly as possible when you first notice the stain.
Treating the stain quickly will help avoid the stain setting and becoming harder to remove later.
Put the linen in a bucket or tub that is completely clean and add water.
Allow to soak for at least 2 days, but you can also allow linens to soak longer.It is often recommended to use cold water because hot water can make stains set, but others say hot water is the only way to remove stains.
To be safe, stick with a cold water soak.
It’s best to agitate the water every so often.
You may also want to change the water depending on how bad the stain is.
If the water starts to become obviously dirty, change it out for fresh water and continue the soak. -
Step 2: Treat stains.
Once the linens have soaked for a while, check them for remaining stains that need further treatment.
Use a modern enzyme stain treatment like Spray 'n Wash or Shout.
These modern stain removers have made many traditional methods obsolete.
Spray a liberal amount on specific spots that need treatment.
Allow the stain treatment to soak into the cloth before moving on.It is recommended to never use chlorine bleach, even as a spot treatment, on linens because it can cause yellowing and deteriorate the fabric.
In general, linen releases stains better than other fabrics do, so you may not actually need to do any further treatment besides soaking. , If you are working with linen that is vintage or delicate, washing by hand is almost always what you want to do.
Washing machines can be abrasive because of the rapid violent movement, especially machines with a center agitator.
Wash with warm water, a basic mild detergent, and powdered oxygen bleach.
Follow the instructions on the bleach product, but in general it is concentrated pretty highly and you shouldn't need too much, only about one filled scoop.
Be sure to separate white linens from dark or colored linens to avoid any bleeding of the colors or fading of the white linens.An example of mild detergent would be something recommended for use on baby clothes like Dreft or All Free and Clear.
Oxygen bleach is usually made with sodium percarbonate, so you can look for this in the ingredients when buying.
Oxi Clean is a pretty standard bleach to use.
If you are washing by hand, it is highly recommended that you wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the chemical reaction of the bleach. , Most wash cycles have a rinse as part of it, but it can be good to send the linens through an extra rinse cycle.
When washing by hand, rinse multiple times in fresh water each time., After all this, the stain you are fighting may still be present or the yellowing may not have subsided.
If this is the case, it can be worthwhile to treat the stain a second time.
Put the linen through the wash a second time., It is generally recommended that you never dry linens in the dryer.
It is better for the fabric to have time to air dry.
Laying the linen out flat will let it dry the best, although this is not always an option.
You can also hang it on a clothesline, or drape it on a porch railing.
If you do the latter, you will want to cover the railing with another cloth to keep the linen clean.Depending on what the linen is for and if you are going to use it immediately, this is a good time to iron the linen while it is still damp.
Tumble drying linen can cause it to wear out faster and to shrink. -
Step 3: Wash the linen.
-
Step 4: Rinse the linen thoroughly.
-
Step 5: Check to see if the linen condition has improved.
-
Step 6: Allow linen to air dry.
Detailed Guide
For linens with stains, it is best to set them soaking as quickly as possible when you first notice the stain.
Treating the stain quickly will help avoid the stain setting and becoming harder to remove later.
Put the linen in a bucket or tub that is completely clean and add water.
Allow to soak for at least 2 days, but you can also allow linens to soak longer.It is often recommended to use cold water because hot water can make stains set, but others say hot water is the only way to remove stains.
To be safe, stick with a cold water soak.
It’s best to agitate the water every so often.
You may also want to change the water depending on how bad the stain is.
If the water starts to become obviously dirty, change it out for fresh water and continue the soak.
Once the linens have soaked for a while, check them for remaining stains that need further treatment.
Use a modern enzyme stain treatment like Spray 'n Wash or Shout.
These modern stain removers have made many traditional methods obsolete.
Spray a liberal amount on specific spots that need treatment.
Allow the stain treatment to soak into the cloth before moving on.It is recommended to never use chlorine bleach, even as a spot treatment, on linens because it can cause yellowing and deteriorate the fabric.
In general, linen releases stains better than other fabrics do, so you may not actually need to do any further treatment besides soaking. , If you are working with linen that is vintage or delicate, washing by hand is almost always what you want to do.
Washing machines can be abrasive because of the rapid violent movement, especially machines with a center agitator.
Wash with warm water, a basic mild detergent, and powdered oxygen bleach.
Follow the instructions on the bleach product, but in general it is concentrated pretty highly and you shouldn't need too much, only about one filled scoop.
Be sure to separate white linens from dark or colored linens to avoid any bleeding of the colors or fading of the white linens.An example of mild detergent would be something recommended for use on baby clothes like Dreft or All Free and Clear.
Oxygen bleach is usually made with sodium percarbonate, so you can look for this in the ingredients when buying.
Oxi Clean is a pretty standard bleach to use.
If you are washing by hand, it is highly recommended that you wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the chemical reaction of the bleach. , Most wash cycles have a rinse as part of it, but it can be good to send the linens through an extra rinse cycle.
When washing by hand, rinse multiple times in fresh water each time., After all this, the stain you are fighting may still be present or the yellowing may not have subsided.
If this is the case, it can be worthwhile to treat the stain a second time.
Put the linen through the wash a second time., It is generally recommended that you never dry linens in the dryer.
It is better for the fabric to have time to air dry.
Laying the linen out flat will let it dry the best, although this is not always an option.
You can also hang it on a clothesline, or drape it on a porch railing.
If you do the latter, you will want to cover the railing with another cloth to keep the linen clean.Depending on what the linen is for and if you are going to use it immediately, this is a good time to iron the linen while it is still damp.
Tumble drying linen can cause it to wear out faster and to shrink.
About the Author
Robert Williams
With a background in education and learning, Robert Williams brings 4 years of hands-on experience to every article. Robert believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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