Irish Linen washes without worry!

I recently bought a lovely set of Irish Linen Double Damask linens, a tablecloth and 6 napkins in the traditional Chrysanthemum pattern. Still in its box, and dating from the 1970s I think, I opened the package to find inside the most delightful leaflet entitled "Irish Linen washes without worry".

Here is it and it was full of great hints and tips, but also made me smile as it harked back to different times. Some of the descriptions are just charming, such as:

"You can wash Irish Linen any way you like - by hand or in the washing machine, with plain soap and water or your favourite washing preparation."

and

"Irish Linen is simple to iron - and so rewarding too".

Now I happen to agree with that, I love nothing better than ironing linen, to see it come up smooth and gleaming, but I know not everyone shares my passion!

I learned a few things too. It tells me that an ironing board cover made of Irish Linen and used for Irish Linen only, will help keep that lustrous sheen on tablecloths and linens, practically for ever! Now I know what to do with that cloth I found which sadly had a large hole in it.

There was lots of information on stain removal too, and one that I found interesting was for removing lipstick marks. These sometimes appear on napkins, and the suggestion was as follows:

"Rub lard into the stain. Sponge with dry cleaning fluid. Wash in warm suds and rinse as usual."

Sounds unlikely, but I must try it sometime......

The one thing that is made abundantly clear is that Irish Linen is for using and enjoying, not keeping for "best". Articles of Irish Linen thrive on regular use and regular laundering and they last a lifetime.

Sorry the body of the printed leaflet hasn't scanned more legibly, but I included it as I think the illustrations are just lovely!

To illustrate the design on the cloth without having to unfold it, a diagram was also included in the box - even showing the design number for the pattern.

They certainly thought of everything!

Linen laundry secrets!

I am really not a great fan of household chores, but one of the activities I do find exceptionally enjoyable and relaxing is ironing bed and table linen. I worked for a fine linens company for a few years or so, and I loved nothing better than preparing the various products for a photo shoot. Armed with a water spray and a well padded ironing board, I would happily spend hours smoothing creases from fabulous Egyptian cotton pillowcases and sheets.

OK, so really large duvet covers were a bit more challenging, but the end result of a beautifully dressed bed was more than worth it!

Then there is my ever growing collection of vintage table linens! Not always in the best of condition when I find them, I need to give them some care and attention to bring them back to life.

My best laundry tip is always to iron your linens when still damp. Particularly with pure linen, it is much easier to iron when the cloth is moist. Ironing on the reverse, the first pressing allows you to return the piece to its proper shape. Then taking a pressing cloth, you can tackle any areas of embroidery to restore them to their original raised texture, always ironing on the reverse.

If the embroidery is particularly dense, you can achieve great results by laying the cloth right side down on top of a soft towel and then pressing gently.

If you are ironing linen damask, iron on the reverse first of all, then iron on the right side to enhance the sheen of this wonderful fabric.

If you don't have the time to iron the cloth immediately I have a great way to keep the cloth at the right dampness. Fold the still damp cloth in a clean plastic bag and pop in the fridge until you are able to iron it. This is fine for a few hours, but if you need to wait for longer you can also put it in the freezer! Yes, honestly! Just allow 30 minutes or so for the material to thaw before ironing. I wouldn't recommend leaving it in the freezer for more than 48 hours.

Then you can head for the linen cupboard with a beautiful pile of freshly laundered linens – what could be more satisfying?