Linen
is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum.
Linen is valued for its exceptional qualities.
Linen fabrics have
been serving humans since approximately ten thousand years ago. It were ancient
Egyptians who first started to use linen for clothes and bedding. We know that
from rock carvings. Local riches were clad in thin linen fabrics; linen fabrics
were used for wrapping of pharaoh mummies. Linen clothes were used as a symbol
of “purity and light”. They were considered to be pure and at the same time
serve as a guardian for the body of the person who was wearing it.
Peasants used
home-made linen clothes.
In ancient Greece
linen clothes were a privilege of priests.
At later times
linen was grown and processed in other, northern, countries.
There it was called
“north gold” and “north silk”. It was used for clothes, table and bed linens,
military equipment, canvas for oil pictures.
In previous centuries
linen was considered to be a “healthy fabric”.
Despite all those
thousands or years behind its back, linen, the most ancient fabric,
remains forever young.
Linen popularity is
not diminishing, it is growing with each year.
The secret of its
popularity lies in the unique and highly valuable qualities of linen fabric.
- It is considered to
be able to regulate body temperature by regulating skin-air heat exchange.
Linen absorbs moister
well and at the same time releases it quickly, dries out, so linen fabric doesn’t
"stick" to the body. Air can pass through linen fabric easily, so the
skin is "breathing".
- Linen creates a
feeling of freshness in hot weather and comfort warmth in winter. It is due to
high thermo insulation qualities of the linen. When the weather is hot, the
temperature between the body and linen is 3-4 degree below the air. When it is
cold, the linen fabric carefully saves the body’s heat.
- Linen possesses high
air permeability and heat conductivity properties. Heat conductivity of linen
is five times as high as that of wool and 19 times as that of silk. In hot
weather those dressed in linen clothes are found to show the skin temperature 3°-4°C
below that of their silk or cotton-wearing friends. According to some studies,
a person wearing linen clothes perspires 1.5 times less than when dressed
in cotton clothes and twice less than when dressed in viscose clothes.
Meanwhile in cold weather linen is an ideal warmth-keeper;
- It doesn’t
cause allergic reactions.
- Linen fabric don’t
create static (in fact, even having small amount of linen in the fabric, up to
10%, removes possibility of static on the fabric).
- Linen fabric
possesses rare bacteriological properties. Linen fabric is a natural
antiseptic, it kills bacteria, so neither bacteria nor fungus can live on it.
It also reduces inflammation. These qualities were noted by people long time
ago when it was noted that wounds under linen dressing healed faster than under
the cotton ones. Wearing linen clothes helps to get rid of some skin diseases -
from common rash to chronic eczema.
- Linen reduces gamma
radiation nearly by half and protects the human body from solar radiation. Flax
fiber from contaminated soils appears not to exhibit even traces of radiation.
- Linen rejects dirt
and does not get teaseled.
- Linen and
linen-containing articles are easily laundered in hot water, can be boiled and
dried in the sun. Hot water kills bacteria and dust mites. Besides they can be
hot-ironed thereby ensuring maximum sterilization.
- The more linen is
washed the softer and smoother it becomes.
- Linen is
renowned for its spectacular durability and long life. The tensile strength of
linen thread is twice as high as that of cotton which means that linen can
withstand more washing cycles and serve for much longer time than cotton
bedding.
- Linen underscores
naturalness, softness and relief; creasing is yet another precious property
possessed by linen.
- Linen has rich
texture and feels pleasant to the touch (we love sewing linen fabric!).
So, to sum it up:
linen bedding provides exceptional sleeping environment, is healthy,
eco-friendly, easily washed, beautiful and long-lasting .
All these unique
features of linen fabrics were always highly valued by people, and now,
overwhelmed with and overexposed to synthetics, we are coming back to this
natural fabric.
Linen clothes and
linen bedding have become fashionable again and make their way back to our
life.
Nothing can compare
with pleasant to touch, textured, cool and fresh linen sheets in summer or in
winter. Linen bedding just help relax and have a tight, refreshing, healthy
sleep.
Linen fabric cost is relatively high now, so it has
become elite material and is used mostly by mid- and high-class people. (info@linenlinens.com,
2009)
info@linenlinens.com. (2009, Sept 1). Linen Linens. Retrieved May 31, 2012, from Linen Linens :
http://www.linenlinens.com/why_linen.html
