Linen shrinks. This is the simple, true version of the answer that most brands understate. A new linen garment, unwashed or only once-washed, will shrink between 3-10% on its first hot wash, depending on the weave, the dye, and the finishing. A pre-washed linen garment — which better brands sell — will shrink very little, because the first shrink has already been done at the mill. Knowing which kind you own, and how to wash it without further shrinking, is the whole of this subject.
Check the label first
Look for one of these phrases: "pre-washed," "pre-shrunk," "sanforised," "garment-washed," "stone-washed." If any of these appears, the garment has been pre-treated and will shrink minimally (often under 2%) on subsequent washes at recommended temperature.
If none of these appears, the linen is likely untreated and the first wash will remove 3-10% of its length and width. Size up if you are about to do the first wash on untreated linen.
The washing rules that work
- Wash at 30°C or cold. Never wash linen at 60°C or above unless you want it to shrink further. Hot water agitates flax fibres and causes them to contract.
- Use a gentle cycle or hand-wash. Standard cycle machines over-agitate linen and cause pilling and early weave damage. A wool / delicate cycle is fine.
- Use a pH-neutral detergent. Strong alkaline detergents weaken flax fibres over time. Wool-wash detergents or Persil's silk / wool variants are safer.
- Turn dark colours inside out. Dark linens fade otherwise.
- Do not use fabric softener. It coats fibres and reduces linen's natural moisture-wicking. Linen softens by itself with wear; softener interferes.
Drying — the single most important step
Never tumble-dry linen. Tumble drying at high heat will shrink a pre-washed linen garment and will badly warp an untreated one. Low heat is less bad, but still not worth the small time saving.
Instead, remove the garment from the wash while still damp (not wet-wet), hang on a padded hanger or lay flat on a towel to air-dry. In a humid room, use a drying rack; in a dry room, hang near (not on) a radiator. Linen dries quickly — usually a few hours.
Ironing
Iron linen while it is still slightly damp. This is the single biggest ironing tip. Dry linen is harder to smooth; damp linen presses easily. Use the linen / cotton setting on the iron, and press rather than drag. If you prefer to steam rather than iron, do so on a hanger.
The special cases
- Linen that has already shrunk. Cannot be un-shrunk reliably. Sometimes a soak in a lukewarm conditioner-water bath followed by stretching while drying will recover 1-2%. Do not expect miracles.
- Linen with cotton lining. The two fabrics shrink at different rates. Follow the more restrictive care label (usually the cotton's) to avoid one shrinking and distorting the other.
- White linen yellowing over time. Linen yellows if stored damp or in sunlight. Store dry, fold flat, keep out of direct light.
The simple version
Cold water, gentle cycle, no softener, air-dry, iron while damp. Do this and a linen dress will still look new after fifty wears. Ignore it and even good linen will visibly age within a year.
The production side — how linen is made and why the finishing matters — is covered in the flax-to-dress pillar.