Hemp and Linen

Both linen and hemp are bast fibres, meaning that the fabric is woven from the fibres that are stripped from the stalks of the plants. Cotton, by contrast, comes from the seed head or boll of the cotton plant. Historically, the process used to soften those fibres enough to be spun into thread was exceptionally labour-intensive, especially in the case of hemp, and only the highest-quality linen is still made with these processes. The highest-quality linen in the world comes only from a narrow band of production which stretches from the North of France, through Belgium and into the Netherlands, but even the linen produced now is no match for the quality of the best antique linens.

Although both are bast fibre textiles, they have slightly different qualities. Hemp is often thicker and slightly rougher (although it depends on the quality of the thread and the weaving), and it has warming properties. When crumpled up, hemp tends to 'spring' back. Linen is often much finer, and it is cool to the touch, and when crumpled it stays crumpled, the creases remain evident. Both are incredibly durable fabrics, and both, when grown and processed correctly, are the most sustainable and durable textile options we have available, vastly more sustainable than any made-made fibres, including bamboo viscose and Tencel (despite what the sustainable fashion industry would have you believe). The only thing that comes near modern high-quality French and Belgian linen for sustainability and durability is ethically-grown wool. But regardless of sustainability in manufacture, all textiles are only as durable as they can be when they are looked after properly, which includes cleaning them according to their needs and storing them carefully.

Bast fibres prefer to be washed on a medium or tepid setting, 30-60 degrees celcius is ideal. They can be washed on extremely hot if they are very dirty or greasy, but this is best avoided regularly as it will wear the fibres and is also not very environmentally friendly.

They need to be placed loosely into your washing machine - don't crowd them. In my 8kg semi-industrial front loader I often only wash one large antique sheet at a time. Washing them in a crowded machine will begin to damage them in a short space of time. They should also be washed using the most gentle detergent you can find, preferably an organic washing liquid, but certainly never a detergent containing bleaching agents or optical whiteners. Never use softener with antique textiles - softener is essentially a wax which coats the fibres of the textile, making them feel softer to the skin and adding a chemical scent - but this wax degrades the fibres and attracts dirt and dust. Likewise, chemical bleaches will destroy antique textiles. To remove removeable small stains, the best approach is handwashing with Savon de Marseille and elbow grease. To remove yellowing and storage marks try soaking in your bathtub in very hot water with a tablespoon of percarbonate soda (not bicarbonate, it’s not the same product) and a capful of organic low-suds washing detergent. Make sure that everything is completely dissolved before you add the textile. Don’t be tempted to use more percarbonate, it is not a bleach but works by opening the fibres of the fabric and allowing the dirt to lift out. Some stains dye the fibres a permanent colour - these stains cannot be removed and adding more percarbonate will simply weaken the fibres. I tend to leave things to soak for 24 to 48 hours, gently moving them around in the bath every time I remember. If they are machine washable you can then wring them out and transfer them to the machine. If not, rinse them well. This method can be used for cotton as well but not for animal fibres.

Don’t use laundry liquid with optical brighteners or unnecessary additives - they are not only harmful for your textiles, they are toxic for your health. The perfumes in most commercial washing liquids and powders are synthetic and are full of hormone-disrupting chemicals. In a previous life I ran another business which imported raw frankincense resins from Oman, and I distilled them into essential oils. Many of my customers were natural perfumers and I learnt a LOT about what goes into our cosmetics and perfumes with the result that I will never now use anything containing synthetic perfumes or allow them near my children if I can help it. Whatever the product is, be it washing detergent or skin cream, if you are buying it in a supermarket aisle it almost certainly contains toxic ingredients, but the company can afford the insurance to cover any potential claims - looking at you Johnson & Johnson/Proctor & Gamble/Unilever etc.

By far the most important point in looking after all old textiles and bast fibre textile especially is to never use a tumble-dryer. Tumble-dryers destroy everything that goes into them, and even on the lowest setting they will damage textiles. All antique clothing and linen needs to be air-dryed, preferably outside. Sunlight can act as a bleach, this is helpful when removing yellowing on vegetable fibres, but be aware that it can be very harsh. Silks should always be dried in the shade.

Ironing after washing, preferably whilst still slightly damp, helps to smooth bast fibres back into shape. Some textiles will feel rough after washing, ironing will help them regain their smoothness.

Cotton

The cotton textiles I sell are almost always pieces of antique clothing, mostly underwear and baby clothes. All of these pieces need to be handwashed with gentle soap, and air-dried. Genuine Savon de Marseille or Savon d'Alep are wonderful for washing cotton. Be aware that with both types of soap, there are very few genuine makers (there are only four genuine Savon de Marseille companies in France, and I only know of two makers of genuine Savon d'Alep. Both products, when genuine, use only pure olive oil in their manufacture and are an olive-green and slightly oily to touch. The white soaps are that colour because they use palm oil in place of olive oil. Please see above for stain removal techniques for cotton.

Silk and wool

I don't carry many pieces made of silk and wool, because although these fibres are extraordinarily strong and have amazing properties, they are damaged by age, by insect activity, by damp, and in the case of silk, by exposure to sunlight. So they don't often survive in useable states for more than a century, unless they have been stored very carefully.

Both of these fibres are animal fibres, and both need to be only handwashed in cool to lukewarm water with gentle soap. The important thing with both is to be very gentle when washing, and to rinse very well and airdry flat. Be especially careful with wool not to change the temperature of the water from wash to rinse, and not to wring out but to gentle squeeze water from the textile. Changing temperatures and wringing causes the tiny scales on the wool fibres to stand up and catch onto each other, and this is how wool felts and shrinks.

A tip - all animal fibres like to be in a slightly acid environment. When rinsing, in the next-to-last rinse, I often add a little squirt of vinegar to balance out the alkalinity of the soap. Then rinse out in clean water.

All wool fibres are self-cleaning. In place of washing sweaters, try spot cleaning any stains. If you hang them on the line in the sun unwashed, often just an air-out is all they need. I tend to wash my woollen sweaters about twice a season, and I spot-clean any small stains immediately.I will often wear my woolly socks three or four times before washing, rotating between pairs so that they have time to air out. But I also have a secret weapon and it is one I would urge everyone reading this to adopt immediately - a full-sized apron for all cooking and cleaning, and wearing proper work clothes when doing gardening or painting. Wearing the right clothes for the task at hand is really a game-changer in treating your clothes with care!

Storing is also important with silk and wool - silverfish are attracted to silk and clothes-moths love wool. Always store these fibres clean. I find the best way to keep them (and the way I store my winter sweaters and coats over summer) and is to wrap them in old cotton pillowcases. Store somewhere dry and with a continuous temperature, and if you are storing them for long periods, it’s a good idea to check on them every couple of months just to air them out and make sure beasties haven’t found them. Moth larvae thrive in the dark. One of my textile friends once remarked that moth in your woollens is a sign you have too many of them to take care of, and I think there really is something in this. Don’t store in plastic - if there is moisture present they will become mouldy.