Linen Care Guide

Fine Linen Care

We sell the finest linens in the world and we want you to get the most out of every piece you purchase from us. Proper care is essential to ensure the longevity of your linens, and to make sure they are at there softest and cleanest for your every need. Read below for thorough instructions on caring for sheets, matelassé items and bath products. Enjoy!

Caring for your Linens

Crafted with the finest quality materials and workmanship, our fine linens are manufactured to be enjoyed for years to come. Proper care will ensure the longevity and luxury of your linens:

Machine launder your linens on a gentle cycle, use warm water (never use hot water) for the wash with a cold water rinse. Use a mild detergent without added bleach, whiteners or softeners. Avoid all liquid fabric softeners, these can damage the cotton fibers. The Picket Fence recommends that you use Le Blanc Linen Wash for all you linens.

Tumble dry on low heat. Remove sheets promptly to prevent wrinkling. If desired, press linens while slightly damp on the reverse side of the fabric using a steam iron on the hot/warm setting.

All natural fibers will shrink during the laundering process and you can expect about 3% shrinkage with Egyptian cotton. To minimize shrinkage, avoid hot water washing and high-heat drying, and never "over-dry" your linens.

*Be Careful! Certain facial creams and body lotions contain ingredients such as peroxide, bleaching agents, oils or acids. Some of these agents may cause discoloration upon laundering.

The indulgent luxury of our fine bedding collections will bring you endless nights of comfort. Enjoy!

Caring for your Matelassé

Crafted with the finest quality materials and workmanship, all of the matelassé from our fine designers are meant to be enjoyed for years to come. Proper care will ensure the longevity and luxury of your linens:

Matelassé are much harder to care for than regular bed or bath linens and we highly recommend professional laundering by a cleaner experienced with natural fibers and luxury linens. All of our 100% Egyptian cotton matelassé coverlets and pillow shams are machine washable, but extreme care must be taken to avoid damaging the materials during this process. We caution against home laundering, due to the size, weight and delicate nature of these linens. Agitator washers may damage the fabric. Home dryers can cause excessive shrinkage, and commercial dryers may burn the fabric.

When you take your 100% cotton matelassé to a professional cleaner, ask your cleaner for a "cold water block press," which will help retain the matelassé’s size and shape. For matelassé containing linen or silk blends, dry clean only.

Caring for your Towels and Bath Rugs

Crafted with the finest quality materials and workmanship, our towels and bath rugs are designed to be enjoyed for years to come. Proper care will ensure the longevity and luxury of your linens:

Before using your towels and rugs for the first time, machine launder in warm water on the gentle cycle with a cold water rinse. Use a mild detergent without added bleach, whiteners or softeners (as we do for our bedding, we recommend Le Blanc Linen Wash). Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the water before adding the linens. The vinegar will help to remove any factory-applied finishes used to protect the linens during shipping. It will also set the color. Do not use a liquid fabric softener, which can damage the natural fibers and compromise the absorbency of your towels.

For all future laundering: Follow the instructions above, omitting the vinegar.

Tumble dry on low heat. Remove promptly when dry. It is true that Egyptian cotton improves with laundering — increasing in softness, fluff and absorbency.

*Be Careful! Certain facial creams and body lotions contain ingredients such as peroxide, bleaching agents, oils or acids. Some of these agents may cause discoloration upon laundering.

Now you are all set to enjoy a lifetime of use from the finest linens in the world. Enjoy!