FAQ

Linen is one of the most widely used fabrics and it comes directly from the flax plant. Known as a strong, durable, and absorbent fabric, linen is almost always found and used as a fabric for bedding because it’s soft, comfortable, and it dries much faster than cotton – making it an ideal fabric for people who sweat when they sleep. Linen is best described a fabric that is made from very fine fibers, derived from the flax plant. These fibers are carefully extracted, spun into yarn, and then woven into long sheets of comfortable, durable fabric called linen fabric.

Linen outperforms traditional manchesters in a number of respects. Boasting incredible tensile strength, it's more durable and hardwearing compared to cotton or wool. In fact, linen is one of the strongest natural fibres there is, approximately 30% thicker and stronger than cotton. Unlike machine woven cotton which can succumb to wear and tear over time, flax linen actually improves with age and benefits from a low maintenance approach to care–yes, that means no ironing or dry cleaning necessary.

SUSTAINABILITY. Known as the world’s strongest natural fiber, linen is highly resistant to abrasion and less prone to wearing and tearing. So you can enjoy your favorite linen pieces for many years without the need to replace them after a couple of washes.
BREATHABILITY. Because of hollow fibers and loose weaves, air can easily flow through the fabric, meaning linen easily wicks moisture and keeps the body comfortable even in hot temperatures.
HYPOALLERGENIC PROPERTIES. Gifted with antibacterial and anti-allergenic properties, linen creates a great microclimate and is friendly to those with sensitive, allergy-prone skin or breathing allergies.
GOOD FOR ALL SEASONS.Loved as a summer fabric, linen not only cools but also insulates depending on the temperature, providing comfort all year round.

Stonewashing is a traditional and artisanal way of softening the fabric naturally. It is done by placing your lovely linen sheets, in their raw and scratchy form into a large machine with hundreds of pumice stones inside, the machine then spins your sheets and the stones around to make sure that the pumice stones come in consistent contact with the fabric, softening it so it can be ready to sleep on. This is a natural and more environmentally friendly way of ensuring your sheets are ready for you to sleep on as opposed to cheaper and more common chemical enzyme washes.

Because you’ve skipped the stonewashing process, you can enjoy your bedding immediately, and (this is the important bit) it makes the fabric more delicate and susceptible to incorrect use and care. Fitted sheets, in particular, will always need the most care because of any item, it is the one item that receives consistent and continuous pressure and movement from your entire body as you’re sleeping.

GSM stands for grams per square metre, referring to the metric weight measurement of a fabric. A higher GSM represents a higher density. Our linen proudly sits at 170GSM, making it the optimum weight for quality, warmth, comfort and durability. We regularly independently test our fabric to ensure the quality remains consistent.

Manufacturing flax linen is a labor of love; requiring time, attention and the ideal climate conditions to get right. It takes roughly 100 days from sowing the flax seed to harvest alone, and the flax plant is rather picky with where it grows, preferring the cool, damp soils of France, Belgium and the Netherlands (known as the Western Europe flax belt). Linen is made when the woody bark surrounding the cellulose fibers (the good stuff that goes into your sheets) is decomposed to get to the useful part of the flax plant. It's then squeezed, dried, combed and spun; a process through which the stronger or longer flax fibers–called line or dressed flax–are separated from the weak–called stricks. This separation is important: the dressed flax will produce more luxurious, hardwearing linen—the kind that ensures your Threads will last years. Finally, these dressed flax fibers are spun and dyed to produce linen in all the hues you know and love.

Quality linen can last decades with proper care.
In fact, in many parts of Europe, it is tradition for families to inherit linen sheets from their parents.
That's because while cotton starts to show signs of wear after three to five years, linen is coming into its prime after a couple years of use. The reason it can outlast cotton is due to the cellulose fibres found in flax linen–they're slightly longer and wrapped tighter, which enhances their strength and longevity.
Provided your Threads are cared for correctly, there's no reason why they can't be a future heirloom, too.

Wash your linen before you use it for the first time (and, hopefully, regularly after that) in a cold, gentle cycle using a mild liquid detergent only. Avoid mixing with other colors and don't overload your machine either—the more water your sheets can soak up, the better. Whether washing your linen by hand or by machine, always ensure that it is thoroughly rinsed in plenty of water to remove all traces of soap, detergent and residual soiling.
It's preferable to wash your linen in soft water. If your water is hard and has a high lime content, consider adding a softening agent, particularly when cleaning darker colors.

Wash your linen with mild liquid detergent only, and avoid using detergents which feature colour brighteners as these formulas will weaken the fibers of your bedding and may discolor them. We've rounded up a few of our favourite eco-friendly options here. Also, your bedding will soften naturally over time, so you can skip the fabric softener–in fact, we advise that you avoid softeners entirely as they can contain chemicals that leave residue on the linen once washed.

All our linens arrive pre-washed, so they're true to color from the very first use and shouldn't transfer to other surfaces. However, we suggest washing your linen before you use it for the first time with like colors to start the softening process. Over time, some gradual fading may occur, especially if your linen is exposed to a lot of direct sunlight or laundered on hot settings. Keep your washes cold and leave to dry in the shade to best preserve their vibrancy.

It's best to dry your linen as naturally as possible – it's not only good for your bedding, but the environment, too. Hang your linen up to dry away from direct sunlight to avoid potential fading. If tumble-drying, keep to low settings and avoid overloading the machine. You can also remove your bedding from the line or dryer while it is ever so slightly damp as over-drying linen (especially in the sun) can cause the fabric to feel brittle.

Because linen is highly absorbent, tend to any stains immediately to avoid permanent damage. Launder with plenty of water and wash separately–being careful not to overload the machine so your sheets can soak up as much water as possible. A gentle detergent will work well to remove most stains, and for whites we suggest an oxygen-type bleach instead of a chlorine-based alternative to minimize the risk of discoloration.