It is often recommended to use cold water because hot water can make stains set, but others say hot water is the only way to remove stains. To be safe, stick with a cold water soak. It’s best to agitate the water every so often. You may also want to change the water depending on how bad the stain is. If the water starts to become obviously dirty, change it out for fresh water and continue the soak.
It is recommended to never use chlorine bleach, even as a spot treatment, on linens because it can cause yellowing and deteriorate the fabric. In general, linen releases stains better than other fabrics do, so you may not actually need to do any further treatment besides soaking.
An example of mild detergent would be something recommended for use on baby clothes like Dreft or All Free and Clear. Oxygen bleach is usually made with sodium percarbonate, so you can look for this in the ingredients when buying. Oxi Clean is a pretty standard bleach to use. If you are washing by hand, it is highly recommended that you wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the chemical reaction of the bleach. If you wash linen in a washing machine, make sure it is on the gentle cycle. [5] X Expert Source Elias WestonCleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 19 February 2021.
Depending on what the linen is for and if you are going to use it immediately, this is a good time to iron the linen while it is still damp. Tumble drying linen can cause it to wear out faster and to shrink.
Make sure the linen is damp when you lay it out in the sun. This will help it bleach better. You can either hang it on a clothes line, or if the piece is small enough, you can set it on a table or hang in off of your porch. You may want to consider putting a separate cloth over any wood or other surfaces the linen will touch to keep it clean. Spread the linen out flat and flip it periodically for the best bleach. The length of time you should leave the linen out can vary. Some people find that leaving it out for multiple days or a whole week gives the best results. Others feel that too much sun exposure can damage the fabric. Your best bet is to keep a watchful eye on your piece and make sure it doesn’t seem to become damaged. You could also avoid this by continuing to dampen it each day if you are leaving it out for a while. If you have particularly dark stains, try spraying a mixture of lemon juice and water on the spots before you put it in the sun. This will give those spots a boost to help reduce the stains.
Try adding ¼ cup to ½ cup of lemon juice, ½ cup of baking soda or hydrogen peroxide (3%), or ½ cup to 1 cup of distilled white vinegar to your regular detergent. To pre-treat the stains before washing, you can use a solution made out of ½ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of liquid dish soap, and 4 cups of water. [8] X Expert Source Elias WestonCleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 19 February 2021.
You might want to change the water a couple times, but it is not absolutely necessary. You can also reheat the water a couple of times to boost the effect.
