Linen is one of the few fabrics that gets better with use, but the first three washes decide how it ages. Here is what actually matters, without the folklore. Wash one: alone, cold, gentle Wash new linen on its own the first time, in cold water on a gentle cycle, with a mild detergent and no fabric softener. Dark colors can release a little dye on the first wash; keeping them separate protects the rest of your laundry. Expect a small amount of shrinkage — a few percent — which...
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Most blackout curtains that disappoint were not bad curtains. They were the wrong width, hung from the wrong height, with a gap of light down each side. Five minutes with a tape measure fixes all three. 1. Width: measure the rod, not the glass Measure the full width of the window including the frame. Your rod should extend 4 to 8 inches past the frame on each side, so the closed curtain overlaps the wall and light cannot slip in at the edges. For a full, gathered look, the total...
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