Table linens can easily be cleaned and preserved for years. source: pureWHITEspa shop on etsy.com
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When it comes to hosting, table linens are a wonderful way to add a POP of color and class to our event. The selection of designs these days are wonderful and can really elevate our tablescapes to a whole level of impressiveness.
The downside? Keeping, cleaning and maintaining them! Ugh!
God knows, trying to get those dreaded food and wine stains and candle drips out of our tablecloths, runners and napkins can leave us completely scratching our heads. Then there’s the drying, ironing, storing, then doing it all again.
Good news!
Today’s post offers 5 super simple steps to keeping your table linens crisp, clean and pristine all year long! Thanks to HomeRight and their SteamMachine Elite, for sponsoring today’s post. To learn more, hop onto my review and how to steam linens using this mighty machine to learn more.
We’ve also collected our favorite expert tips and put them together for you here.
Step 1: Clean/Wash Linens
After a party or special event, there will no doubt be stains left on your tablecloths. Fear not! With these four fabulous ways to clean common stains on table linens, like food ‘n grease, red wine, candle wax and rust, you’ll have step 1 completed in no time! Cleaning recipes included!
Step 2: Iron Linens
Here’s a tip my mom and aunties taught me at a very young age: iron your linens before storing! Why you might ask? Ironing, then storing is the best way to keep linens from creasing permanently. Just folding a linen, then placing in a drawer or shelf isn’t enough to prevent small creases from forming. Later, when you wish to use them again, you’ll have a heck of a time ironing them out.
Plus, when you’re preparing for a party or event, pre-ironing will eliminate one step from your to-do list. Boom!
Now, when it comes to eliminating the chance of scorching, especially delicate or older linens, steaming is the safer alternative…
Step 3: Steam Delicate Linens
Delicate lace, vintage and silk-blend linens can easily be damaged by ironing. The HomeRight SteamMachine Elite is the perfect tool to steam freshly washed linens, leaving them wonderfully wrinkle-free and pristine.
Step 4: Fold Linens
Believe it or not, there is an art to folding linens. If you’re persnickety about these types of things, that is. If you think about it, though, the less folding, the better your linen will later look on your table. Here now, is a recommended folding formula:
A. Fold long-wise in half.
B. Fold long-wise in half again. At this point your linen should look long and skinny.
C. Now, fold over in half, so short sides meet.
D. Fold the same direction one more time. the width should be about 17 3/4″ wide – the width of a regular wire hanger.
Step 5: Store Linens
To keep your linens really pristine, storing them is just as important than washing them. In my family, we’ve had a long tradition of hanging our linens.
TIP! You can purchase specially designed linen hangers or add a thick wrapping paper roll onto a wire hanger to prevent deep creases.
Again, the key to a nice linen is to create as FEW folds as possible. If you decide to store on a shelf or in a dresser or cabinet, unless you’ve got deep shelves or cabinets, you’ll most likely have to make more folds.
If you just don’t have the hanging space, you might want to consider a long under-the-bed storage box, or, grab a HomeRight SteamMachine Elite to later steam out those extra folds.
Click the image below to hop onto my article, How to Steam Linens with Steam Cleaner to Remove Wrinkles on HomeRight:
