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By choosing Schweitzer Linen you have invested in some of the finest linens from around the world. This offers you some tips and guidance for the proper care and maintenance of your linens and will help ensure their long lasting beauty, comfort and feel.

Washing: Jacquard or Damask items are best machine washed on Normal cycle. Embroidered or Lace items should be washed with the Gentle cycle.

Always use Cold or Warm water.

DO NOT use any type of bleach or bleaching agent as this can weaken and discolor the article.

Liquid detergents can cause discoloration if poured directly onto the fabric, so always allow your washing machine to fill and begin agitating before adding detergent (for European style front-loading automatics, run a pre-wash soak and rinse so the detergent is added at the start of the 2nd wash cycle.) Liquid detergents we can recommend include the Le Blanc range of fabric care products: Linen Wash; Down Wash; Silk & Lingerie Wash and Baby Wash, which are specially formulated for this purpose (each are available through our retail stores, catalog and website.)

Don't overload the machine, better to do two light loads than one packed, and never leave damp or wet articles in the machine, especially if you are washing embroideries for the first time!

Drying: Tumble dry on a medium heat and remove from dryer while still slightly damp to aid in ironing. Do not overdry the articles as this may damage the fabric, lace or embroidery and will reduce the life of your fine linen.

Ironing: Iron damp, never dry, use a spray bottle in needed. Always iron on the reverse side, usually with a “hot” or “Cotton” setting.

Storage: Store linens in a dry, well ventilated space. For long term storage, wrap your linens in cotton, muslin or acid-free tissue and place them in acid-free, archival boxes specially designed for the preservation of textiles (call for more information.) Throw some sachets of lavender in with them to keep them smelling fresh.

Towels: Please note that the use of Fabric Softeners reduce the absorbancy of towels, so it is best not to use them. Thread pulls can be clipped off safely without damaging towels.

NOTE: The use of certain skin and hair care products that contain oxydizing agents, may cause some discoloration of sheets, with Blue linens especially susceptible. Always use a white pillow case or towel for protection with your nighttime regimen.

Recommended reading: Laundry: The Home Comforts Book Of Caring For Clothes & Linens by Cheryl Mendelson

Disclaimer: Schweitzer Linen will not be held responsible for any items damaged by improper washing, drying or the use of any bleach or bleaching agents.
See also: What do those Laundry label symbols REALLY mean?

Everyone has seen them, the little diagrams on linen and clothes labels that tell you how to care for the fabric. People look at them and promptly forget them because understanding what they mean is beyond most of us.

Here are a few tips to think about before tossing your beautiful Schweitzer linens in the wash with the great t-shirt you bought from that designer at the street fair - you know, the RED one!

The symbols are designed around five groups: (Group 1) Professional Cleaning; (Group 2) Washing; (Group 3) Bleach; (Group 4) Drying and (Group 5) Ironing.

Notes on the Chart.

Dots indicate heat, the more dots the hotter.
Bars under the icon indicates gentle, the more bars, the more gentle treatment needed.

Group 1) Professional Cleaning: Sometimes just labeled “Dry Clean” but there is a whole set of icons for Professional WET washing, I’ve only included the main one here. There are a few other Dry Cleaning icons in addition, most specifying technical requirements of solvents and stress levels of textiles. Rule of thumb - if the label has a circle, take it to the professionals. Always make sure your professional checks the label when you hand over the cleaning!

Group 2) Washing: Symbols can contain various maximum temperatures indicated and they are always specified in Centigrade, so for the US take that into account and convert to Fahrenheit. Here is a list of the most commonly used indicators:

30˚C = 85˚ F - Cool;
40˚C = 105˚F - Warm;
50˚C = 120˚F - Hot;
60˚C = 140˚F - Hot;
70˚C = 160˚F - Hot;
95˚C = 200˚F - Boiling (almost);

It is assumed that most symbols are for Machine washing, so be sure to check the controls on your washing machine and familiarize yourself with the manual - it really does make a difference!

Group 3) Bleach: We do not advocate using bleach as it can weaken and discolor fabrics. If you must use bleach use a chlorine-free version.

Group 4) Drying: As in Washing, this mostly refers to Machine drying, but that can be too aggressive for some fabrics. Ideally remove linens from the dryer whilst still slightly damp.

Group 5) Ironing: Man-made articles should always be ironed with a cool setting. High quality cotton and linen, like Schweitzer’s, should be ironed damp, never dry, use a spray bottle if needed. Always iron on the reverse side, usually with a “hot” or “cotton” setting.

Print the full chart.

I hope you find this information useful and if you want to print a complete chart to pin up in your wash room click the thumbnail below to open or download the full Schweitzer Linen laundry Label Chart PDF,