Linen care
Washing, drying and ironing linen at home
Linen is easy to look after. The only hard part in Mumbai is drying it between June and September.
Washing
Machine or hand wash at 30 °C with your usual detergent. Wash dark colours like Rust and Olive with similar colours for the first two washes.
- Turn shirts inside out before washing
- Use a gentle spin, or no spin for the bedspread
- Close the buttons so they do not catch on other clothes
- No bleach, not even on White
- No hot wash and no tumble dryer
- No fabric softener on towels, it stops them taking up water
About shrinking
We wash every length of fabric before Joseph cuts it. That first wash does most of the shrinking. At home, expect no more than 3%. On a size M shirt that is under 1.5 inches around the chest.
Drying in the monsoon
Indoors, under a fan
Hang shirts on hangers, not folded over a line. Put them in the room with the most air and switch the fan on. A shirt is dry in about half a day this way.
In the shade
On dry days dry outside, but out of direct sun. Strong sun fades Blue and Rust.
Never put away damp
Linen folded while still damp can get mildew spots in a closed cupboard during the rains. Wait until the seams feel dry, because they dry last.
Ironing
Iron while the shirt is slightly damp, at the medium setting. If it is already dry, spray some water first.
Iron the collar and cuffs first, then the yoke, then the sleeves and the body. Dark colours look better ironed on the inside, as the iron can leave a shine.
Towels and throws need no ironing at all.
