PROPERTIES OF LINEN                                                                      Back to homepage    

 

 

Since early times flax has been reputed to possess curative properties. This fact has been borne out by the present-day studies. The very word flax meant "being most useful" in Latin.

Indeed, turned into a multitude of household things, flax possesses important, truly exceptional, hygiene and consumer properties that explain why things made of it enjoy such popularity:


• Linen is renowned for its spectacular durability and long life. The tensile strength of linen thread is twice as high as that of cotton and three times that of wool;

• flax cell is highly compatible with the human cell thereby producing a benevolent effect on the human organism.
• used as  bed linen it reduces fatigue and lifts spirits;
• flax fabric is an excellent filter protecting against a chemically aggressive medium, noise and dust;
• linen reduces gamma radiation nearly by half and protects the human organism against solar radiation. Flax fiber from contaminated soils appears not to exhibit even traces of radiation;
• Linen underwear possesses rare bacteriological properties. Resistant to fungus and bacteria, it is found to be an effective barrier to some diseases. According to medical studies conducted by Japanese researchers, bed-ridden patients do not develop bedsores where linen bed sheets are used. Wearing linen clothes helps to get rid of some skin diseases - from common rash to chronic eczemas;
• Linen does not cause allergic reactions and is helpful in treating a number of allergic disorders;
• Linen is effective in dealing with inflammatory conditions, reducing fever and regulating air ventilation, and is also helpful in the treatment of some neurological ailments;
• Linen cloth does not accumulate static electricity - even a small addition of flax fibers (up to 10%) to a cloth is enough to eliminate the static electricity effect;
• Linen is highly hygroscopic as it is capable to rapidly absorb and yield moisture. It evaporates water as quickly as the pond surface. It has been established that before giving a feeling of being wet, linen cloth can absorb as much as 20% of its dry weight. That explains why linen cloth always feels fresh and cool;
• 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;

• silica present in the flax fiber protects linen against rotting - the mummies of Egyptian Pharaohs preserved to the present day are wrapped in the finest linen cloth;
• Linen rejects dirt and does not get teaseled;
• Linen and Linen-containing articles are easily laundered in hot water, may be boiled and dried in the sun, besides they may be hot-ironed thereby ensuring maximum sterilization;
• the more Linen is washed the softer and smoother it becomes;
• Linen underscores naturalness, softness and relief; creasing is yet another precious property possessed by Linen
• Linen has a smooth surface and mat luster and feels pleasant to the touch.

 

 

 

 

Pure Linen:

Soft ,resilient ,absorbent,it is refreshing,sheets and fabric are rare and hard to find,colors vary from white,off-white,pale straw,beige,cream,to light grey.Always cool to the touch,warm in winter and cool in summer.

* Click on picture for a larger image

 

 

Old Mixed of Linen and cotton:

It is a mixed of Pure Linen and cotton,colors vary from white ,off-white,pale straw,beige,apricot,and cream,it is absorbent and resilient ,a great quality who really last,sheets and fabrics are hard to find and not really produced anymore  or in very small quantity .

* Click on picture for a larger image

Hemp:

Homespun weave,colors vary from white,beige,pale straw,cream,light to dark brown,hemp last a very long time,sheets and fabric are very hard to find in France.Always come with a center seam circa 1900' to 1930',is absorbent.

* Click on picture for a larger image

 

Nettle:

Homespun country weave,color is mostly white as snow to cream,it is very sweet , heavy and absorbent .I think that it will be very difficult soon to find .Very rare and hard to find.Always come with centerseam.

* Click on picture for a larger image

 

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