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What is linen? Do you know enough about linen? Linen is not a rare material around us, but not many people can tell the difference between types of linen. We see linen everywhere in our daily life, from a tablecloth to even some clothes we might be wearing. This article will show everything you need to know about linen.  

The guide will begin with the simple definition of linen and distinguish between linen and cotton. Next, we will find out the making of linen, step-by-step, straightforward to understand. After that, the article will show you how many linen types there are on the market and, lastly, some real applications of linen in our life. Let’s get started!

What is Linen? – Is Linen Different From Cotton?

Linen is a kind of fabric derived from natural fibers grown vastly in many regions on Earth. Linen is durable, breathable, and soft—fun fact: Linen will get more peaceful if you wash it more often. Just like linen, cotton has the same characteristics. 

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One thing in common between linen and cotton is that they are both derived from natural materials. However, linen and cotton thrive from different materials, so the softness, texture, durability, or absorbency are additional. Cotton is more breathable and softer than linen. 

People in ancient Egypt used linen to wrap the mummies’ bodies because of their durability. Nowadays, people use linen to produce pillows, cheap table runner, tablecloths, rugs. Sometimes, people mix cottons to create a paper-like substance to make something like the Dollar bill.  

Read more: Why is linen going to fit your home the best?

How is Linen Made? 

The primary natural fiber that creates linen is flax fiber. Flax fiber was cultivated and extracted into fibers 6000 years ago. In the past, people need to pull them by hand or cut it and remove the plant stock from the fibers. There is a process to do them, but it’s hard to demonstrate in a few sentences. Now, imagine that we have those about 20-centimeter-long fibers or maybe at any length we want. We can now weave them into fabrics. 

For you to understand  the process of making linen, I found this video on Youtube that demonstrates how they make linen in factories and farms: 

How Many Types of Linen Are There You Should Know? 

There are five types of linen I want to mention here, named by the way it’s used as a component to create other products: 

  • Plain-woven: This is the most commonly used type of linen fabric. One unique characteristic of this type is checkered or striped red or blue patterns or red and blue. This type better suits cleaning purposes because a loose weave makes it easier to absorb liquid. 
  • Loosely woven: This type is highly absorbent. Therefore, we often use this type of linen in products that require high absorbencies, like diapers or sanitary towels. There are two famous varieties of this type: The Bird’s Eye linen (loose weaves create small patterns that look like a bird’s eye) & The Huckaback linen fabric (pure linen or the blend of linen and cotton). 

Read more: Prosan – The Perfect Companion for Stress-Free Diaper Changes.

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  • Damask: This type of linen is a mix of plain and satin weaves. Moreover, this type of fabric has a tight texture, which creates a smooth surface. Despite the texture, Damask linen has a certain level of absorbency, which is enough to manufacture linen napkins. Moreover, people do use damask to produce tablecloths or table runners. One variation of Damask is “Venis linen fabric,” which also has a fine texture.
  • Sheeting: We can use this fabric type to make sheets like bed sheets and table sheets. It’s also suitable for suits, dresses, or other kinds of clothing that use linen. 
  • Toweling: This is the name of linen used to produce towels. There are many types of towels with different sizes and purposes that people manufacture differently to satisfy the customers’ demands.

Reference: Linen Fabric Types – Linen Beauty 

What Are The Uses Of Linen?

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So, how do people utilize the use of linen fabric? Here is the answer: 

  • Used to make household items: Linen is always the first choice for buying household textiles. Why? Because of its durability and practicality. You can find linen fabric in towels, bedsheets, slipcovers, … & for practicality, you may have used a lot of linen napkins, tablecloths, runners.
  • Improve your health: There are ideas that you should use linen-based products for your bed like pillows, sheets, or blankets as linen is good at bringing better sensation and comfort. On the other hand, linen products vary in colors and patterns that can satisfy most of our demands. 

Reference: The Uses of Linen Fabric – Linenme  

A Few Final Words

In conclusion, I hope that this article has brought you some handy information about linen. Is there anything I miss while writing about linen? Please let me know in the standard section right below or contact me via email here! Thanks for visiting GreenHouseCenter.net!

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