Taking Care of Your Luxury Linen Tuesday, May 19 2009

How to care for your luxury linens:

Dry Cleaning or Washing in Water

Most luxury linens can be washed in water. Dirty linen should be washed as soon as possible as this is better for the fabric.

Luxury linens made from plant fibres ( cotton, linen, etc..)

These types of fibres can be washed in water regularly but they can be susceptible to shrinkage.

Luxury Linens made from Animal-Derived fibres (silk, wool, etc..)

The safest and simplest way to care for these types of linens is to have them professionally cleaned. These linens must be washed in water gently and by hand if possible. If a washing machine is used it should have a delicate cycle and a temperature setting of 30° C or less. Wool and silk require careful care when drying and ironing. If you do not have the correct equipment, patience (essential!) or time then it is suggested you take your linens to a professional cleaner as too high of a temperature or excessive spinning can damage them seriously.

Luxury Linens made from Blended Fabrics

Blended fabrics can be washed in water as long you stick to the method stated for the most delicate fibre according to the following list:

Cotton – Linen – Silk – Wool

Any fabrics with more than three fibres should be dry-cleaned.

Luxury Linen Shrinkage

All natural fabrics shrink after they have been washed in water. This can vary from four to ten percent depending on the fibre and the water temperature. The colder the water the less the shrinkage and the less the potential harm to your luxury linen. Certain luxury linens allow for normal shrinkage. The most susceptible fibre for shrinkage is Wool.

Luxury Linen Article Sorting

It is always recommended to sort your linens by the different fibres (cotton, linen, wool, silk), colours (whites, light colours and dark colours) and also by the type (towels, sheets and tablecloths for example). Avoid including synthetic fibres and any articles that can damage your luxury linens with any metal parts such as zippers.

How to care for your luxury linens Blog #2

Washing in the Washing Machine

Any article with lace or embroidering is very delicate and should be enclosed large thin pillowcase or cotton bag.

The washing machine must be good working order and be capable of operating at the required temperatures and the desired washing cycles:

Whites:  50°/60°C

Colours: 30°/40°C

Delicate Fabrics: Cold water /30°C

Cold final rinse

Pre-soaking

When the wash cycle is completed the laundry should be removed immediately and shaken to minimise wrinkles. The washer drum should never be completely filled.

Temperatures

It is always best to use the lowest possible temperature.

The washing cycle should be selected using these guide lines:

Cotton and Linen: Whites at 60°C Colours at 40°C. These are the maximum temperatures and if they are lightly soiled then use 40°C for whites and 30°C for colours. For a more intense or cleaner wash then pre-soak the  laundry instead of increasing the temperature of the water. Remember to use maximum temperatures only on the hardest to clean items.

First Washing

Any household linen should be washed prior to using for the first time as fabrics do not come already washed. The first wash is extremely important as this will determine the future beauty of the fabric. The articles must not be folded when they are loaded into the machine. The articles should be pre-soaked in cold water with a small amount of detergent. The washing machine should then be run at a low temperature again with a small amount of detergent. The final rinse should be in cold water.

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Wedding Lists Friday, Nov 21 2008

Where shall we have our Wedding List is often just another decision to make on the road to “tying the knot”?

If you live in the Harrogate area, (and even if you aren’t so fortunate, the website is almost as good!) Woods of Harrogate is the most amazing shop. It is one of the few remaining traditional retailers left in the UK and well worth a detour.

A Weding List from Woods of Harrogate is the Perfect Start

The best thing about having your wedding list at Woods of Harrogate is that there is so much variety under one roof, and it is not the run of the mill stuff that you find in all the big chain stores.

Where to start? That may be the most difficult decision to make! Well, the bed linen is “the finest” – Frette must be the last word in luxury and with so many other makes to choose from, even the cheaper ranges are of a lovely quality. But don’t stop there because up on the second floor where the beds are “dressed” in all their splendour are cashmere throws, merino wool blankets, cushions, and the best pillow in the world.

Also upstairs are the towels in every colour you can think of, together with all the tempting little bathroom accessories that you didn’t know you needed, and some luxury toiletries thrown in for good measure. (I won’t mention the adorable baby towels, blankets and the dearest little bootees, may be not for the wedding list!)

Then you can look at all the kitchen essentials, things you need but all arranged in tempting groups so that it is easy to choose your favourite colour scheme. If you need fine table linen, there is that too, and gorgeous runners and napkins for the Christmas table.

The wedding list can be substantial, because there is so much more that can be included, glassware, tableware, silver, just lots and lots of tempting things.

My daughter and her fiancée had a wonderful time being let loose with all this to choose from. They even included a beautiful antique tea caddy on their list, which was something really special and just part of another section of this amazing shop.  As far as they are concerned it was the ideal place to have their list and would highly recommend the experience. The staff can’t do enough for you, which is always a bonus in this day and age!

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The Best Duvet in the World Friday, Jun 13 2008

How to select the Best Duvet

Since they were first introduced into the UK in the 1960s, duvets have gradually replaced traditional sheets and blankets. Today most people prefer to use duvets, not only because they are warm and light but also bed making is so much easier, a few quick shakes in the morning and it ‘s done.

Duvets are available with so many different natural or synthetic fillings, choosing the right one for your requirements can be daunting and finding stores with knowledgeable staff is not always easy. At Woods of Harrogate, our sales team are all fully trained to explain the different qualities of duvets and why buying the best quality duvets you can afford, is so important.

Natural filled duvets can look very similar but prices differ greatly, so what is the difference?

Starting with the cambric case, these vary in quality, the best ones being densely woven cotton cambric constructed in boxes with walls between to hold the filling in place. The walls are needed to stop cold spots, some cheap duvets are just sewn through, and this creates thin areas with no filling where heat escapes. Next the filling, this is usually goose feathers, goose down or a combination of the two. Adding feathers to a duvet makes it cheaper but also heavier. Top quality duvets are filled only with pure white goose down from geese bred in the coldest parts of Europe and Canada. These birds are left to mature until the down is at its prime to ensure the lightest softest down possible. Some duvets are filled with down from birds bred for their meat, these birds are killed before their feathers mature, this smaller down does not have the same “loft”, so will not feel as soft and will not last as long as it breaks down much more quickly.

Woods of Harrogate have a full range of top quality white goose down duvets in various tog ratings (tog ratings are the warmth values, the higher the tog the warmer the duvet). These include, our luxury 13.5 tog Canadian snow goose down duvet for cold winter nights, our four seasons Hungarian white goose down duvets in 4.5 tog summer weight and 9 tog spring/autumn weight (these are sold separately but can be clipped together to give a full 13.5 tog winter weight). We also have duvets filled with silk or wool; these are a good alternative for people who are allergic to feathers.

Stop Fighting in Bed!

The latest addition to our choice of white goose down duvets is “The Perfect Partner Duvet”. After listening to couples trying to decide the warmth needed when choosing a duvet together, we commissioned our German manufacturer to make a duvet to suit partners who require different tog ratings. One half of this wonderfully soft and light pure white goose down duvet, is a medium 9 tog and the other half is a full 13.5 tog. This ensures both partners have a comfortable night’s sleep and reduces bedtime fights! We have been amazed at how common this problem is as “The Perfect Partner Duvet” introduced 18 months ago, is now our best selling duvet.

All Woods of Harrogate duvets are made in Germany from the finest white goose down encased in top quality walled cambric cases and have a 15 year guarantee.

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The Best Dishcloth in the World Wednesday, Jun 11 2008

Wood’s Famous Linen Dishcloths

When William Ernest Woods opened his shop in 1895 his aim was to build a reputation for selling only the finest quality household linens available. From sheets and blankets to dusters and floor cloths, only the best were good enough to be put on the shelves of his Harrogate shop. If he couldn’t find an item to meet his exacting standards, he would find a manufacturer to make it for him.

Even the humble dishcloth had to be worthy of the Woods label. After trying several which he was not happy with the quality and performance of, he travelled to Ireland to find a manufacturer to make a linen dishcloth to his own specification. It had to be highly absorbent, long lasting and keep its whiteness. Once he was happy that these entire requirements had been met, he placed his first order and the famous Woods dishcloth was born. Customers soon realised just how good the Woods linen dishcloth was and it became a kitchen essential in many homes throughout Yorkshire.

That was 100 years ago this year and today Woods of Harrogate sell thousands of these highly absorbent linen dishcloths to our loyal customers both at home and abroad. They are sent all over the world to customers who tell us they cannot find anything to compare with the qualities of the Woods dishcloth anywhere else.

Woods linen dishcloth is far more absorbent than cotton, so mops up spills and splashes leaving work tops dry and smear free. It can be washed at a high temperature, if required, and will last for several months, maintaining its original whiteness throughout.

Thousands of satisfied customers throughout the world have used the Woods linen dishcloths for generations. If you have never tried one, in its centenary year, why not discover the secrets of the best dishcloth in the world. We know you won’t be disappointed and will never want to use anything else!

P S They are great in the bathroom too!

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