Your Damask Heirloom

Suddenly fine linen damask tablecloths are heirlooms. Proper care, which will keep them that way, should include the following: Wash linens separately in very hot suds after prespotting. Avoid chlorine bleaches. Rinse very well. Never dry linen in the wind. A still, sunny day is best to bleach and dry linen. (If you cannot dry on a clothes line, use a hot dryer for about three minutes, leaving the cloth heavy with moisture.) Dampen linen heavily and roll the cloth in plastic until the moisture penetrates uniformly. Iron within 24 hours with the iron at its hottest setting. Iron with the grain until the linen is as dry as possible. Finish on the wrong side, taking extra care to dry hems well. The result will be a leathery, glossy damask you can use with pride. Ironing creases in linen tends to wear it out, since linen is brittle to creasing. Margaret Childs, Department of Clothing and Textiles, Brigham Young University