Care instructions Alexandre Turpault

Here are a few tips to wash linens (whatever the fabric: linen, cotton or halflinen).

• • Remember to wash your linen before using it for the first time, it will wash the primers and make your linen more comfortable.
• • Before this first wash, we recommend you to soak your linens overnight in cold water, this will stabilize colors and dimensions.
• • Always follow the care instructions on the product label.
• • Separate white from coloured linen, and make sure to use a specific washing product the brightness of your coloured linen. Laundry detergents containing bleaches might change the colour of your laundry.
• • Prefer the laundry detergents without optical brighteners, they are irritating to linen, they pollute and have no washing power.
• • Dry your laundry as soon as the washing cycle ends by hanging it and iron it while it is still a bit wet: ironing will be facilitated.
• • If you are using a dryer, make sure to take your laundry out before before the end of the cycle.
• • Drying laundry on a line is ideal to avoid crumpled linen.
• • As far as possible, do not wash natural fibers and artificial fibers together. Artificial fibers release small bobbles that cling to natural fibers and make them lose softness and suppleness.
• • Do not mix your household linen (especially bath linen) with clothes with hooks or zippers, they may hang onto the fibers and damage them.
• • If your linen is embroidered, iron it on the other side to avoid damaging the embroidery.
• • Make sure that your laundry is completely dry when storing it.

Natural textiles might shrink a little during the first wash. If you wash and dry your laundry at high temperatures, the shrinkage will be stronger. Make sure to observe the washing and drying temperatures to limit this phenomenon.

Bedlinen

• • It is recommended to wash pillowcases and duvet covers on the other side to protect the colors.
• • Whenever possible, wash all the pieces of a duvet set together, so that they all look the same over time.
• • Iron your laundry when it is still wet, ironing will be facilitated (especially for linen).

Table linen

• • Care instructions are the same as for bed linen.
• • Make sure you handle difficult stains immediately and especially before washing. They will disappear more easily.

Bath linen

• • Wash your towels and bathrobes before the first use, they will be softer and more absorbent. The maximum absorption capacity will be reached after a few washes.
• • Separate dark colors and light colors.
• • The dryer is recommended for cotton towels: it will give them volume and suppleness.
• • We do not recommend the use of a softener which coats the fibers and decreases their absorbency.
• • When taking out your towels from the washing machine, it is recommended to pull on the fancy weaves to give it its initial shape back. Repeat after drying and optionally iron again.
• • In case of pulled loops, you can simply cut them at the height of the other loops.

How to clean stains

• • Butter and Margarine: dab with diluted dish detergent. Repeat the operation several times if necessary. Then wash as usual.
• • Candle: carefully remove the wax with your fingernail. Place the stained item between two pieces of tissue paper or blotter and press with a hot iron. The remaining wax will be absorbed by the paper.
• • Coffee and Tea: apply a solution of borax (1 volume of borax for 6 volumes of water) directly on the stain. Then wash with warm soapy water.
• • Fruits and Berries: sprinkle salt and mild liquid soap on the stain. Leave it on for a few hours and rinse thoroughly.
• • Grease: sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on the stain, and leave it for a few hours. Scrape and repeat the operation. Brush to remove the powder and wash it as usual.
• • Mold and Rust: apply white vinegar or lemon juice to stop mold. Let it dry in the sun for a few hours. Wash it as usual, but separately.
• • Lipstick: scrape up the task with a sharp knife. Use a textile stain remover before washing and rub with a clean white cloth. Then, wash it as usual.
• • Blood: immediately clean blood stains with cold water (never with hot water, which would permanently fix the stain). Then, soak in cold water with two cups of salt for 24 hours and wash as usual.
• • Red Wine and Jams: rub immediately with sparkling water, then wash it as usual.