Storing linen

As a cellulose fiber, linen absorbs moisture from the air more readily than cotton. In a damp environment, the risk of mold and musty smell grows faster than with cotton. This especially affects seasonal bedding and tablecloths that sit in a cabinet or drawer for months between uses.

The same problem affects linen clothing put away at the end of the season: summer dresses, shirts or blazers waiting in the closet until next summer. The good news is that linen only reacts badly to a few specific storage mistakes, not to storage itself. Below you will find exactly what to avoid and how to prepare linen for months spent in the closet.

Linen's tendency to weaken along fold lines comes from the structure of the fiber itself. The angle of the cellulose microfibrils in linen is very low, which means the fiber stretches poorly and springs back poorly after bending. When bedding or a tablecloth lies folded in the same position for months, the cellulose along the fold line gradually fatigues, and over the years it can crack or wear thin at the next wash.

Yellowing is a separate process. It happens when residual sweat, detergent, starch or ordinary dust oxidizes on the fiber under the influence of air, moisture and light. Even fabric that looks clean can yellow over time if it went into storage not fully rinsed or slightly damp. That is why the two pillars of safe storage are drying thoroughly before putting linen away and periodically changing the fold line.

Linen bedding and tablecloths are better folded than hung, because a large piece of fabric on a hanger stretches under its own weight over time. The key rule is to change the fold line at every seasonal repositioning, ideally alternating lengthwise and crosswise, so the fiber does not fatigue in the same spot every time.

Linen clothing, such as shirts, dresses or blazers, is best hung on a wide, shaped hanger, ideally wooden or padded. The shoulders of the garment then keep their shape, and the fabric does not crease in places you would have to iron before wearing it anyway. A thin wire hanger can distort the shoulder line over a longer storage period.

Seasonal linen bedding is best kept folded flat, in a few layers, in a ventilated spot, for example on a dresser shelf with the doors slightly ajar rather than in a tightly closed chest. A tablecloth is worth folding along the same lines used for ironing, so that when it is spread on the table the creases almost straighten themselves out.

Linen clothing worn only seasonally, such as summer dresses or shirts, should be kept separate from heavier fabrics that could crush it on the hanger. If the closet is tight, it is better to fold such a piece carefully in a drawer than to squeeze it between thick sweaters.