Your restaurant is beautiful. The food is beautiful. The service is beautiful. Everything about your business is beautiful right down to the smallest detail, including the table linens. Now, you want to make sure they stay that way. Knowing how to store table linens will maintain them over prolonged use. So how do you properly store your beautiful table linens? Here are a few helpful tips.
Pre-Storage
Before you store your linens make sure that you have washed or dry-cleaned each piece after first checking all items for stains to be treated. If you decide to wash your linens yourself rather than have them dry cleaned, make sure they are fully dried prior to storage. Any moisture at all can result in mildew. Also, allow linens to lay flat for some time after ironing to dry completely.
Storage Environment
When you’re ready to store your hospitality linen products, make sure they are stored in the proper environment to remain pristine.
- Store in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area.
- Do not store linens in direct sunlight.
- Wrap linens in acid-free tissue paper. The acids in regular tissue paper can turn white linens yellow.
- Place the tissue between the folds in the linen to soften the edges. Crisp creases can weaken linen fibers.
Storage Method
Part of maintaining the look and feel of your table linens is making sure they are folded or hung properly. You will want to avoid wrinkles, folds, and errant creases so they are perfect for presentation the next time you are ready to use them.
1. Hanging Linens
The best way to store linens to prevent wrinkles is by hanging them on padded hangers in a closet. An over-the-door hanger with padded rods will work as well. Hang one cloth per hanger for best results. Make sure the storage area has enough space to allow plenty of room between each item that is hung.
Also, be sure to allow for air to circulate. Never store linens in plastic bags because they can trap moisture and cause a chemical reaction that can discolor your linens. The correct way to cover your linens is with a 100% cotton sheet. You can also store your linens by wrapping them around a cardboard tube. Make sure the tube is acid-free so your linens will not be stained.
2. Storage Containers
- Never store linens in cardboard boxes.
- Do not place linens in direct contact with cedar chests or wood drawers.
- Do not place linens in plastic storage containers.
- Much like regular tissue paper, fumes from petroleum-based polyurethane plastic boxes and wood acids can yellow and weaken the linen fabrics.
- Place heavy linen pieces in the bottom of the storage container followed by tablecloths and linen napkins. Place any lighter pieces on top of the stack.
- Do not starch your linen pieces and keep any starched items away from them to avoid attracting insects.
- Twice per year, refold linens to prevent continued pressure on any one area.
Get Top-Notch Table Linens from Wilkins Linen!
Take the worry out of storing, maintaining, and cleaning your company’s linens. Wilkins Linen is a family-owned, full-service premium linen company serving the Greater Houston area. Contact us for reliable service and quality products at a reasonable price.
