Can You Machine Wash Linen? — What PP Recommends
Can You Machine Wash Linen? — What PP Recommends
Can you machine wash linen — the correct settings, the temperature rule, spin speed, no tumble dryer, handwash option.
The question of whether linen can be machine washed is the most common linen care question — and the answer is yes, with specific conditions on temperature, cycle, and drying that protect the fabric across many seasons of washing.
Machine washing — the correct settings. PP Belgian linen garments can be machine washed. The correct settings: temperature 30 degrees maximum, gentle or delicate cycle, liquid detergent (not powder, which can be too abrasive for linen), and no fabric softener (fabric softeners coat the linen fibre and reduce its natural breathability over time). These settings clean the garment effectively while protecting the fabric structure and the natural buttons from heat damage.
“PP Belgian linen garments can be machine washed. The correct settings: 30 degrees maximum, gentle cycle, liquid detergent, no fabric softener. No tumble dryer. These four conditions clean and protect simultaneously.”
— Pieter Petros, founderThe temperature rule. 30 degrees is the maximum recommended temperature for PP linen. Above 40 degrees, the flax fibre begins to contract — producing shrinkage that is largely permanent and cumulative across repeated hot washes. The first wash of a new PP linen garment is when any residual shrinkage from the pre-shrinking process occurs; washing at 30 degrees from the first wash onwards minimises this.
The spin speed. A high spin speed in the machine increases the mechanical stress on the linen weave and can distort the garment shape, particularly at the waistband of trousers and the collar and cuffs of shirts. A medium spin speed (800-1000 rpm) is sufficient to remove water from the garment for hang drying without the mechanical stress of a high speed spin.
No tumble dryer. PP linen garments should not be tumble dried. The heat of the tumble dryer causes shrinkage and can harden the linen fabric and damage the natural buttons. Hang to dry naturally after washing — the garment is ready to wear or iron when fully dry.
Handwashing as the alternative. For the most delicate or most prized PP linen pieces, handwashing in cool water with a small amount of gentle liquid detergent is the most careful approach. Gently squeeze rather than wring the garment; rinse thoroughly; hang to dry.
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