How to Soften Linen Fabric? 5 Effective Methods

How to Soften Linen Fabric? 5 Effective Methods

if your new linen bedding is not as comfy as you may have expected, here are a few super effective and simple home methods that will help you soften it.

You most likely already know that linen is one of the best fabrics for keeping cool if you live in a tropical, humid climate. To make the sweltering summers more bearable, it is light and airy enough. Nevertheless, despite being one of the coziest materials, linen is infamous for having a scratchy texture that can make it uncomfortable to wear.

The good news is that linen gets softer with repeated use. You can also use a variety of techniques to soften linen, such as soaking it in water with a cup of vinegar for an entire night or using baking soda to lessen the irritating scratchiness of fresh linens.

I have looked into a variety of techniques for softening linen clothing, and I have listed them all below.

How to Soften Linen Fabric?

Here are five methods you can try that will soften your linen clothes, sheets, and other upholstery.

Washing Linen More Often

The first and 100% successful method, is to wash your linen sheets more frequently. So, use your linen bedding and wash it as frequently as you can. The linen fibers naturally soften and become more flexible over time. While this method seems super easy, it requires a lot of time and patience.

Continue reading to try some of the other natural ways to soften your sheets if you don’t have much time.

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Baking Soda

Right away, this enchanted powder will start to work its magic. Here are a few simple ways to use baking soda as a fabric softener:

• Simply combine ½ cup of baking soda with your washing powder and put everything in the washer as usual.
• Fill a full bucket with warm or cold water and add the entire cup of baking soda before hand-washing any linen items. Simply let the linen sheets soak in this mixture for the next day. The basic idea is that the more baking soda you use, the stronger the softening effect will be. Finally, just throw your linen sheets in the washing machine and let them air dry.
• Simply mix half or a cup of baking soda into the water before washing your linen sheets if you intend to do so by hand. Then wash everything as you normally would.

White Vinegar

In addition to being a well-known natural cleaner, white vinegar also functions as a natural fabric softener. There are a few different ways to use it to soften sheets:

• Replace the chemical fabric softener in your washing machine by adding a solution made of ½ cup vinegar and ½ cup water.
• Prior to washing, rinse the linen sheets in the washer using only a frac12th cup of pure vinegar in place of washing soda. Next, use the cleaning detergents of your choice to wash the clothes once more using the standard washing cycle.
• The linen sheets should soak in a solution made up of a cup of vinegar and a gallon of water for the entire night. Put them in the washer the following day. White vinegar will not only soften new linen sheets but also get rid of any leftover washing powder residue or odors from your laundry.

Dryer Balls

The environmentally friendly substitute for dryer sheets is said to be dryer balls. They come in plastic, wood, or wool and are long-lasting. And yes, they do help with scratchy linen.

In essence, dryer balls remove flaws from linen clothing. So pop a few of these in your washing machine and unload softer linens. Here’s how they operate in case you’re unclear.

Dryer balls tumble inside the appliance, repeatedly rubbing against the clothing. Although this produces heat, the repeated motions also erode the fabric’s fibers. Using dryer balls is the best option for you if you naturally want to soften your linen items with a quicker drying time.

Additionally, before placing drying balls in the washing machine, you can give them a light mist to get the most use out of them. It will guarantee that the scratchiness of lint is almost completely eliminated.

Vigorous Washing

Your linen’s stiffness is probably due to something in the weave itself washing it doesn’t soften it. Break down the fabric slightly, but gently, to soften it. The linen can be washed by hand or in a regular setting in your machine.

For a more vigorous agitation during the wash, add terrycloth towels to the machine to help increase friction. If you’re hand-washing the fabric, rub it together firmly; then dry it as usual. Repeatedly washing your linen helps speed up the process of softening the fabric.

Why is Linen Rough and Scratchy?

The flax plant is used to make the fabric known as linen. Due to its high level of tensile strength and ability to withstand heavy use, flax fiber is used to make rugs and ropes. However, if you’ve ever held a flax rope or walked barefoot on a flax rug, you know that while it may be strong, it most definitely isn’t soft. The same applies to linen.

Like other textiles, the quality of the yarns and the weave’s thread count determine the texture of linen. Like cotton, the manufacturing process and yarn are used to determine how soft and comfortable a fabric is. Unlike cotton, linen is softer with a lower thread count.

Linen’s roughness is also impacted by blends. It would seem that combining linen with a softer fabric, such as cotton or silk, would make it more comfortable, but this still depends on the processes used to make the yarn and fabric.

Adding substances during the production and finishing processes of linen can increase the fabric’s roughness. This is true for many textiles, but flax may be more sensitive to these additives and result in a fabric finish that is even rougher.

However, because linen is so strong, it can be washed, worn, ironed, and washed repeatedly without becoming threadbare. Your use of the linen will only make it softer and more comfortable with each wear, wash, and handling.

Conclusion: Soften Linen Fabric

The good news is that your linen will crease and wrinkle less the softer it becomes, whether from repeated washing and use or one or more of the methods mentioned above.

You can stop worrying that the linen fabric will feel uncomfortable while you sleep now that you know how simple it is to soften it. Just follow the instructions above and you will be on your way to a good night’s rest!

FAQs

How Long Does It Take for Linen to Soften?

Soak and submerge the linen sheets in the tub with the dissolved baking soda for at least 24 hours (maximum of 48 hours) for the softening process to happen. After the waiting period, you can choose to machine wash or hang the items out to dry.

Why is My Linen Hard After Washing?

Newly-purchased linen sheets can feel stiff due to chemical residues from the manufacturing process.

Does Steaming Soften Linen?

In order to remove wrinkles from sturdy linen clothes, it is important to soften the fabric first. Much hot steam is needed for that. Usually, a high-pressure steamer can only work the wrinkles out.