Beauty and Comfort of Stone Washed Bed Linen
Stone washed bed linen is quite an often term to be found when browsing the net (or high-street shops, for that matter) for quality linen bedlinen. Stonewashing sounds intriguing and raises many questions, so let’s find our what this technology is about.
Stonewashed bed linen is a result of a textile manufacturing process that includes actual pumice, volcanic rock or synthetic man-made stones, or chemicals - usually chlorine - to produce a slightly worn-out appearance to newly manufactured fabric. The process was invented by jeans producers and mostly used on denim garments, but recently home textiles producers, especially those using pure linen fabrics, increasingly appreciate it.
During the process a large industrial washing machine is filled with stones and linen fabrics, linen textile products and garments are placed inside. Wash cylinder rotates causing the fabrics to be repeatedly pounded and beaten as the stones ride up the paddles inside the drum and fall back down. This way the garment wash effect is created and even more unique appearance of linen fabric achieved.
Stone washed bed linen and other linen textile items boast not only more appealing appearances but also increased softness and flexibility of the fabric. The fabric also becomes more pleasant to the touch as this technology loosens the weave of pure linen, resulting the washed bed linen to have a slightly vintage feel to it. Stone washed bed linen (a.k.a. pre-washed or garment washed) has a more casual and comfortable look, which becomes more and more in fashion.
Garment washing of linen bed linen almost completely eliminates the shrinkage factor in the subsequent machine washing and tumble drying processes carried by end users. Pre-washed linen products also have a soft natural crumples that add some chick look and therefore the products do not need ironing.
Apart from stonewashed bed linen, pure linen stonewashed tablecloths, linen napkins, linen cushion covers, linen towels etc. are also available on the market.
