Irish Winter Couvre-lit

Your Antoine Karam house linens have been tastefully woven using the finest materials in the world, and with proper care, they will live a prolonged beautiful life in your home. This guide will provide you with the care instructions needed to ensure the durability of your Antoine Karam linens.

BED

WASHING 

We recommend you have three sets of bed linens that you can alternate in between. While one set is displayed on your bed, the others will be either stored or being washed.

• An important step is to separate your linens into light and dark colors.
• Wash your matching linens together to preserve their color consistency over time.
• A first wash is very important for new linens and prepares them for a long and beautiful life. So, always pre-wash linens before first use.
• Bed sets should be washed at 30 degrees machine wash cold to warm (*not hot), with cold rinse and a mild liquid detergent, at a gentle wash and spin cycle.
• Never fully pack the washing machine.
• Items with delicate embroideries can be washed inside out, and small items with lace trims can be placed in mesh bags for further protection.
• The liquid detergent should not contain whiteners or bleaching agents because they might alter and weaken the color and texture of the fabric over time.
• Specific stains should be pre-treated before the general wash cycle.
• Avoid washing bed linens with towels as the terry cotton can graze the fabric.
• We recommend professional cleaning for pique and quilted bed covers as they are too large and too heavy when wet to be used in home washing machines.

DRYING

• The ideal way to dry your linens is by air, draping them using a line. Do not place the linens in intense and direct sunlight, as it might lead to yellowing.
• You can also dry your linen by shaking out the humid linens after they are washed and placing them loosely in the dryer. Do not overload the dryer.
• Tumble dry at the lowest heat setting or “cool air” setting, and never completely dry them as prolonged heat will dry out their fibers and make them lifeless over time.
• Dry cleaning is also an option.

IRONING

• The best time to iron your linens is when they are still damp.
• The iron setting should be warm/hot for cottons, and hot for linens.
• It is advised to iron your cotton sateen sheets on the reverse side; it will soften the fibers and restore the shine; as the cotton sateen can lose its original silkiness after first wash due to its woven construction.
• When ironing monograms, delicate lace, or other embroideries, place a soft white slightly damp cloth over your linens, and iron on the reverse side when feasible.

 

BATH

WASHING

• Antoine Karam towels are made of 100% Egyptian cotton & weaved in Italy.
• We recommend washing towels separately from linens, and always separating light and dark colors from each other.
• Always pre-wash your towels twice before use.
• As a first wash: pre-soak in cold water with a small amount of mild liquid detergent. After this wash, run a cycle at a low temperature, ideally 30 degrees Celsius.
• On the following washes, continue to machine wash your towels with cold water and a mild liquid detergent. Never pour detergents directly onto your towels.
• Avoid chlorine based bleaching detergents as they can damage the terry.
• Ideally it would be best to wash the towels only with other towels to avoid pulls to terry loops from hardware such as rivets, buttons, and zippers.
• Do not overload the washing machine.

DRYING

• Tumble dry on low to medium heat. Do not over-dry.
• Remove your towels when the drying cycle ends.
• You don’t need to iron your terry. Instead you can easily flatten and smoothen your towels with your hands before folding and storing.
• Do not overload the dryer.

 

TABLE

WASHING

• We recommend treating and cleaning stains as quickly as possible after they appear.
• Avoid spray starches.
• Our table linens can be washed at 30 degrees machine wash or warm hand wash with a mild liquid detergent, at a gentle wash and spin cycle.
• It is better not to use bleach or fabric softener
• Line dry or tumble dry on low heat. Remove while still damp.
• Dry clean is recommended.

 

STORING FINE LINENS

• Fold and place your linens in a cool, well-ventilated room protected from direct sunlight, as it could lead to permanent yellowing.
• It is also nice to tuck a lavender or scented sachets within your linen for a crisp clean smell.
• Avoid storing your linens in a plastic covering as they need to breath. You can wrap them in a white cotton sheet instead.

 

Tips for Stain Removal

• We advise cleaning stains directly after they appear as it is difficult to remove a stain once is truly set.
• Try never to vigorously scrub the stain away, but rather gently soak until results are obtained.

RED WINE

Cover with white wine and then rinse in cool water. You can repeat this until the stain is gone.
Try not rub in order not to amplify the stain.

WHITE WINE

Rinse with club soda and tap the stain with a clean white towel.
Repeat as needed.

OIL & GREASE

Blot the stain with a clean cloth or paper towel to lift as much of the oil/grease as possible.
Apply baby powder, salt or cornstarch, or baking soda to the stain and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Scrape away and repeat the process, finally brushing off the powder and washing as usual.

RED SAUCE or TOMATO JUICE

Rinse with cool water.
Brush the stain out gently with a  laundry liquid detergent.
Blot the stain with a clean terry towel.
Repeat the process as needed.

COFFE, TEA, or SODA

Soak in hot water for a few minutes and pre-wash with a stain remover. Then wash as usual.
You can also create a solution of distilled white vinegar, liquid detergent, and water to effectively loosen persistent dark stains.

CANDLE WAX

Wait for the wax to harden and then gently flake it off with a dull butter knife. (Do not scrape since this may damage the fibers.)
Iron between absorbent paper until the wax is absorbed.