Linen rewards patience. Follow these habits and your CHIC pieces will soften, brighten, and remember you — for a decade or two.
Machine wash cold, on a gentle cycle, with a mild pH-neutral detergent. No fabric softener — linen makes its own hand as it wears; softener coats the fibre and dulls the drape.
Turn dark colours (Coffee, Navy) inside out. Wash with like colours the first three times to let any residual dye release.
Line dry in the shade whenever possible. If you use a dryer, tumble on low with a wool ball or two for 10 minutes to relax the weave, then finish on a line or a flat surface.
Never wring linen wet — press the water out between two towels instead. Wringing breaks the fibre.
Iron on the linen setting (approximately 445°F / 230°C), on the reverse side, while still slightly damp. A steam iron is best; a spray bottle works.
Or don't iron at all. The relaxed hand of un-ironed linen is a whole aesthetic — one we happen to love.
Fold. Do not hang. Linen resents shoulder pull when wet or heavy; a folded stack keeps the drape honest.
Store in the linen dust bag it arrived in, in a dark drawer or shelf. Cedar blocks or lavender sachets nearby — no plastic, ever.
Linen wants to breathe. Between wears, hang it briefly in a well-ventilated place before folding. A quick steam refreshes without a full wash.
The fewer washes, the longer the piece lives. A season of wear often needs only three to five cycles.
Wine or oil. Blot immediately with cold water and a drop of dish soap. Do not rub. Wash within 24 hours on cold.
Ink. Rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab, patted from underneath onto a white towel. Repeat before washing.
Sun-fade on darks. Prevention only — store away from direct light. If it happens, write to atelier@chiclinen.co and we will assess a dye refresh.