How to wash and dry table linens

Think of fabric as a living, breathing medium — after all, the origin of most tableware is living cotton, flax or perhaps silk. To keep these goods fresh and attractive, they need light and air and a gentle touch. Knowing how much of each is the secret to long life for your linens.

• To help your white table linens retain that crisp white look, dry them outdoors in the sun.
• The sunlight will bleach the fabric. Of course, you want to keep coloured linens out of direct sunlight — or they'll fade.

• If you can't display them all, store your delicate linen and cotton tablecloths in tissue paper and lay them flat.
• This will protect the linens from sunlight, which can fade or discolour them, and will keep them dust-free.

• When washing white or lighter-coloured linens, use warm, not hot, water to prevent running.
• Coloured items should be washed in cool water. Linen is highly absorbent, so be sure to use enough water to disperse the soap.

• Before hanging your linens to dry, you can remove excess water by laying the item along an absorbent towel and rolling tightly.
• The towel will sop up a lot of water, and your cloth will dry more quickly and with fewer wrinkles.
• Quicker drying time prevents mould from developing.
• No matter which drying method you use, be sure to remove the linen from the line or the dryer while it is still damp.
• When dried thoroughly, linen becomes brittle and takes hours to recover its natural moisture and full flexibility.

• Time is your best ally when it comes to removing stains from linen.
• Mix a gentle detergent with warm water, and let your linen soak in the solution for two to three days. It may take that long to remove the stain.
• You can let it sit inside the washing machine to soak.
• Change the water once it becomes dirty by removing the cloth and setting the washer to the spin cycle. If the cloth is very sturdy, you don't have to remove it.

For stubborn stains: If you encounter a particularly resistant stain on linen, try using a solution of lemon juice and salt, mixed to form a paste and applied to the stain. Once you've lifted a stain from a linen item, give the cloth a thorough rinsing to make sure you get all the detergent out.