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enduring

How to Wash Vintage New Linen?

enduring
8 years ago

I bought some linen toweling, 10 yards of it off ebay. It came and looks perfect. I would like information on how to wash new linen. I will be making towels out of it. Should I wash it first, then sew the towels? Or, should I cut and sew up the product, then wash? I have never worked with linen, though I have linen clothing articles and wash them up without issue.


Comments (59)

  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    Roc...thank you for sharing. The towels are stunning, absolutly georgous. Its one of my dreams some day to have a few linen towels....one time at a thrift shop I seen some hanging...so beautiful, just as I reached for them a worker ripped them out of my hands and rushed like mad to the back of the store, I was shocked..shocked that she grabbed them..and shocked that something so lovely was just hanging in that thrift store..any way the lady came back out and apologized saying those wernt ment for sale..I was furious, they wernt ment for sale because she must not have been working when they were put out, and seeing me and what I was pulling out used her employment there as a way to take them herself..the nerve of some people. Sorry for rambling lol....Thank You Roc.

    enduring thanked mamapinky0
  • rococogurl
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    @enduring -- Stevens sounds somewhat familiar but I don't know how. Want to say they made bedding?

    One necessity for me was size. So the smallest towel is about 39" long. The hemp is 21 x 39" f.ex. Hemp is a terrific fabric -- breathable, durable and more supple, softer than the metis. It irons smoothly however. There' s a whole hemp clothing industry so no idea why it would be illegal except idiots will smoke it.

    @mamap -- I am told that those who work at thrifts skim off the best stuff. No doubt... But I'd keep looking because most people have no idea about textiles and an entire generation of stuff from the 50s and early 60s is coming through now.

    Hand monogrammed sheets and towels will disappear very soon because the generation that had time to make them is going. After that it was nondescript store bought stuff that's only good for the rag bin and gets recycled into rugs or who knows what.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
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  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I haven't heard about the legality of growing for several years. I see things have been changing recently. Here is a link to some recent changes for growing hemp:


    http://www.ncsl.org/research/agriculture-and-rural-development/state-industrial-hemp-statutes.aspx

    Thanks for the measurements. I've never seen large linen towels like you describe. I have an old length of linen from the 70's that I bought when fabric stores used to carry such fine fabrics and were everywhere. I still haven't made it into anything. I was young than and I might have only bought 2 yards, (hopefully it is 3). I didn't have much money then. I have recently been thinking of making it into a table cloth for my small kitchen table. Originally I had dreamed of a couple of window panels. In the next week or so I will probably drag it out and look at the length.

  • rococogurl
    8 years ago

    If you would like @enduring the various measurements I can do that. All of the towels have selveges so, at some point, they must have made metis in that 21" wide range. It does make sense because really old wallpaper is also about that wide. The narrower toweling I've seen is often made into a loop and hung over a dowel.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • Joel H.
    8 years ago

    Nice linens! I love old napkins and tablecloths that are real linen. Linen is VERY durable. Hot washes, Tide, tumble drying are all ok. Linen can take heat, dry or wet. Hanging them out in the sun (wet) will super whiten them. I echo everyone else on the bleach, oxygen bleach is best. You need to warm to hot water on linen to release wrinkles in the wash and soften the fabric for through cleaning. Hotter water will set in more wrinkles, however. Linen is actually pretty trouble free to wash, but ironing is a whole other story. lol.

    enduring thanked Joel H.
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Rococogurl, no need to take measurements, but thanks for the offer. My linen is 16.5" selvage edge to selvage edge. Yes, I've seen those towel made in a loop and over a dowel. I wondered if this material was for those old roller type hand towel dryers that would wind up onto a used portion, then sent off to the laundry or janitorial service that provided them.

    Joel, I think Rococogurl collects linens. They are beautiful aren't they. I have a newly acquired electric mangle that I will be using for these towels or napkins I plan to make. Thanks for you info on linen care. Mine will be laundered with kitchen towels, at 120f or 140f. I was planning on using Vaska. I don't anticipate these getting stained and if they do, I'll use the hotter temp. Heck, linen requires the hottest of hot iron setting.

  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    Linen can even withstand boiling water washes. That and the sun is how they kept linen white many moons ago.

    enduring thanked mamapinky0
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks Mamap.

  • rococogurl
    8 years ago

    You will have lovely towels from that fabric. Please don't forget to show us when you're done.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • Cavimum
    8 years ago

    That label was probably a Westpoint Stevens label, an old long-time textiles company here in the U.S.A. somehow connected to Westpoint Pepperell.

    You can wash that linen in hot water, if you like. I've got some old linen dinner napkins that have been washed a bazillion times since I bought them 20+ years ago, at a moving sale. They've been washed in detergents with enzymes; there is no reason enzymes would harm linen. Enzymes only harm protein fibers.

    Because of the striped border, I would avoid oxy bleach and definitely LQB, only for fear the colors would fade. Oxy bleach might be okay, from time to time.

    If you dry it in the dryer, it will shrink some. Linen often will shrink but perhaps the older linens of yesteryear are made of better stuff. Dryer drying will make it soft and drapey. I prefer to let my linen napkins and towels air dry. That way, they are crisp and stiff. When one accidentally goes thru the dryer, I just let it, wring it out, and air dry.

    I have an Elna clamshell press that I like to use on linen, but often I'm lazy and use a regular iron on the napkins and just don't iron the towels.

    Personally, I would pre-wash before cutting and sewing. If you don't and it shrinks, your towels would be smaller than what you're hoping for. I agree on using a polyester thread. It will hold up longer than cotton.


    enduring thanked Cavimum
  • rococogurl
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I did a project I'm just about to put on my blog. Had a slipcover made for an old chair from vintage monogrammed bed sheets. Sheeting version of my towels. Same blend. I bought 2 sheets to use and one unused as backup. The backup was in a plastic package. It had been stored in an armoire with shoes. Never used but it stunk from the shoes. OMG so horrible. Smell was gone after the Sanitize wash. But there were/are major finishing agents in that sheet. Even after the first wash it was so stiff and it wouldn't iron well at all, even on the rotary. Washed it again and could hardly fold it. Third time as well.

    There's a man who is an online sheet retailer who I interviewed earlier this year. Really, really knowledgeable guy. He told me you don't really know about sheets until they've been washed about 10 times because that's what it takes to get rid of all the finishing agents. With that in mind, I washed the sheet again last night as I had a small load of white towels. #4. Texture has started to change. It folds easier and is beginning to feel smoother. Really fascinating to see. Expect this might be true for any new vintage textile. It will change after the first few washes until the finishing agents are all gone. Another little laundry room extra.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    That is great to hear. I love details like that. Thanks for taking the time to post. What is your blog site link?

  • rococogurl
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Here's a link to the piece on the monogrammed slipcover.

    I didn't include photos of the new sheet. But I really was surprised yesterday at how it's changing. Which makes me think there must use a gigantic amount of finishing agents on those sheets. I saw they are also made in Belgium. Fascinating that small countries can still manufacture sheets and we no longer do. Makes me sad.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • Cavimum
    8 years ago

    Linen can be funny stuff. Several years ago, I ordered some of these Swedish towels from Birch Street Clothing. When they arrived, they smelled musty/moldy/mildewy and I washed them immediately. OMG, they came out extremely rough and scratchy (but not stiff like rococo's linen textiles)! Once washed and dried, these were nothing like the smooth finish they had upon arrival. My guess was they were made from a very short staple linen (eeew!). No way did I want to use these in the kitchen. I sent them on to Goodwill immediately. Buyer beware, etc. I'm surprised this company is still selling them.



    enduring thanked Cavimum
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Rococogurl, This is a great article. I read the bed sheet buy article too. Thank you for your valuable information.

  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Well I'm finally ready to wash the linen. I've stitched both ends to prevent raveling in the wash.

    I will Vaska or Biolkeen. If someone posts real quick I'll let you help me to decide :)

    Biokleen has NO phosphates, chlorine, ammonia, petro solvents, butyl, glycol ether, metasilicate, brighteners, SLES, or EDTA.

    Vaska has NO nonylphenal ethoxylates (NPEs), chlorine, phosphates, alcohol, optical brightners, animal products, dyes.

    Neither one mentions enzymes but the list doesn't have any "enzymy" sounding words. No "ase" suffixes at the end of any ingredient, to indicate an enzyme.

  • Joel H.
    8 years ago

    If it were me, I would choose Biokleen....with a fat shot of STPP if you have it, and maybe some oxy.

    enduring thanked Joel H.
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    This linen is pristine, no stains what so ever, so I wont use Oxy. And there were some comments above about color and oxy not doing well together. So I will skip that this time and see how things go. I could just go with the Biokleen and see how that works. The STPP I have, I could use that too.

  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I'm going to use hot water too, 140f.

  • rococogurl
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    enduring -- if you haven't started the machine, I would try vaska with very warm on extra white or custom plus sensistive. I get very good results on extra warm.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    I'd vote for Biokleen.

    enduring thanked mamapinky0
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    LOL, haven't started the machine yet, and the detergent isn't in there either. I've been eating breakfast and reading the Laundry Forum :)

    But, I want to try hot water instead of very warm, because that is how I wash towels to get them as clean as possible. Above it is mentioned that boil wash will even work on linen. This linen looks very stable and strong. It is brand new and without any storage stains.

    So what if I use STPP as Joel suggests, Biokleen (2:1 vote), and hot water 140f, with an extra rinse (sensitive option)?

  • rococogurl
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Don't know anything about biokleen or stpp FBOFW. With due respect to all who use them, I'm not adding phosphates to my septic.

    Can tell from the photo that there are finishing agents on the fabric. I would expect the texture to change. It might take more than one wash. As I mentioned with my sheet, it took 4 washes before the texture started to change. Danaher really knows his stuff.

    But you can judge as you go. No mistakes to be made.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    I Also vote for 140f temp.its clean so no need for a boil wash.

    Many moons ago before washers linen was often boil washed in order to get it super clean, households were actually judged by how clean their linen was. Linen is also able to tolorate temps that high where todays textiles are not. But linen was also spread out in the fields under the sun lol. I'd say if it doesn't have an odor and it looks clean and stain free than 140 is a great temp.

    enduring thanked mamapinky0
  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    I agree with Roc..expecially with linen..the more its washed the nicer it is.

    enduring thanked mamapinky0
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks Joel H, Rococogurl, and Mamapinky. I have just started the wash with about a TBS of Biokleen and 2 tsp of STPP. It is running at 140f with an extra rinse selected. Nice and mildly sudsy. I think this linen will wash up just fine.
    Biokleen web page

    I have a septic, and have been using STPP for about a year. Then before that phosphates were used prior to the ban on this septic system. Our septic tank has been in place since the late 70's. My plumber is coming today, so I will ask him what he thinks of phosphates in the septic tank.

    Who's "Danaher"?

  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    Enduring, let us know the results. Biokleen smells sooo good.I love it.

    enduring thanked mamapinky0
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I'm uploading a video to youtube right now, but it is slow. I will post the video when its complete.

    Who's Danaher?


  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Here's the washing. It came out nice, but I decided to run it again, with just the biokleen, to see how it goes.


    Miele w3033 washing vintage linen, short video

  • rococogurl
    8 years ago

    Looking good @enduring. Danaher is the president of perfect linens, the man who explained to me how sheeting is woven today and what to expect.

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I washed it again, this time with just the Biokleen. Here is the fabric just out of the washer, wet.


  • rococogurl
    8 years ago

    The sheen is gone so it looks like a good bit of the finishing is out. Do you plan to wash again or mangle it?

    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I'm heating up the mangle right now. I have a few other things to do too. The fabric looks perfect.

  • rococogurl
    8 years ago

    Superb! Cant wait to see.

  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    Looks good...your making bath towels??? They are going to be super beautiful.

  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Ive been following this and can't wait to see the finished product, I'm sure its going to be lovely, just like Rocs, but Roc is an encyclopedia of knowelage with this sort of thing..whatever advice she gives you can bet will be dead on right...Good Luck Enduring, this makes me wish I wasn't so dang vision impaired.

  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Mamap, I'm going to make kitchen towels. They will just be hemmed at the ends because the fabric is 16" wide. So they will look like my pictures, if you can imagine a pile of towels, instead of 10yds of fabric. Here is an ironed (mangled) view of the yardage.


    Now, I just have to cut my lengths and iron the hems, then sew them up. It will be easy and fast.

  • Joel H.
    8 years ago

    Fantastic!

    enduring thanked Joel H.
  • rococogurl
    8 years ago

    That came out perfect. Those towels will become heirlooms. Gorgeous!


    enduring thanked rococogurl
  • georgect
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Enduring...

    I was watching your Miele washing. Am I correct it uses two tumble speeds?

    When it starts off, it's very quick, I can't count the revolutions, then as I'm watching it steps down to a slightly slower tumble.

    The Elux will do a fast tumble when filling and on the less aggressive cycles will do a more slow tumble (rolling the clothes) then back up to a the more faster tumble a little later in the cycle but they are separate.

    The Miele looks like it does it within each tumbling sequence before it switches directions.

  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I think the video is glitchy. I went and watched the washer just now, on another load, the tumble starts moderate, then speeds up a bit then moderate then stops and reverses. Its on "Sanitary" right now. The video linked above was on "Whites". Both have rather low wash water. Higher rinse water is on the "Whites". I'm not sure about the rinse water on the "Sanitary" cycle. But the tumble never starts up fast. I think it was the video. I too noticed that when I posted the video. As I go watch the video now it isn't doing that rapid tumble at the start.

  • georgect
    8 years ago

    Oh OK, I just thought the wash action was interesting.

  • rpsinfoman
    8 years ago
    enduring thanked rpsinfoman
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    very interesting rpsinfoman. Thanks. Using the rinse cycles to start the wash is very novel. This is helpful information. I don't have any delicate linen at this time, but I can share this with my daughter in law, because I gave her my delicate linen ;)

  • rpsinfoman
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    My mother left behind a number of hand stitched vintage tablecloths more than 50 years old. I have since restored and cleaned them. The oxidized stains were a challenge, but they truly were restored to perfection. Lol probably will never use them, but you just can't get stuff like that today. There keepsakes.

    Here are some spotting tips if you are restoring. http://70.88.161.72/ifi/BULLETIN/POT/Pot196.pdf

    enduring thanked rpsinfoman
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks again. These are saved on my hard drive now. I am planning to send them to my daughter in law. She has a lot of vintage clothing stored in her closets. These will be informative.

  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Well I've been in contact with Stevens Linens in New Hampshire. The company got in contact with the previous owner for me and this is what the previous owner said of my fabric. Mind you this may or may not be their fabric, but he recognized it, but not the label. I think the label would be recognizable for sure. The label should be in the archives of the business. Anyway, this is what the previous owner of Stevens Linens reported to the present day Stevens Linens personal, whom I contacted:

    "I can't identify the label but I can identify the fabric. It is made with a cotton slub yarn that we used in a lot of upholstery fabric starting in the 1950's. This swatch is very similar to a fabric we wove for Schumacher and was actually used on the Kennedy rocker in the Oval Office. I would say between the label and the fabric it is from the late fifties or very early 60's."

    Pretty interesting isn't it.

  • rpsinfoman
    8 years ago

    Sure is! You couldn't find that quality of textile today if you tried. LOL all China based now a days.

    enduring thanked rpsinfoman
  • enduring
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    OH Jean, don't get me started. I LOVE FABRIC!!!

    Thank you very much for following this. You have a love too.