Name: Jamie

Message: I recently purchased 100% linen drapes and hankerchief 100% linen sheer panels.  They are an off white cream color and would prefer them to be white.  What products and/or processes can I use to bleach or remove the color from linen material to make them white?

I cannot recommend that you try to bleach natural-color linen drapes at home. It would be better to buy white drapes to begin with. Most drapes that you purchase are labeled "dry clean only". Is this true of the ones that you have purchased? If so, you should probably not even try to wash the drapes at home, let alone subject them to harsher treatments such as bleaching. 

Although linen is a natural fiber, mostly made of cellulose, and can withstand hypochlorite bleach (ordinary chlorine bleach) as well as any other fiber, this chemical is quite toxic and damaging. If you use too much, you may cause the fabric to fall apart or to show wear surprisingly quickly. Any treatments that have been applied to the linen to give it a particular texture, or stain resistance or permanent press properties, may be damaged by the bleaching process, or they may simply repel the bleach and prevent it from having its full effect.

If you do decide to go ahead and bleach your drapes, use a top-loading washing machine to do it in. The washing machine must be large enough for the drapes to move freely. Do not overcrowd the washing machine. Put the drapes into the empty washing machine to determine how many will fit with sufficient room to spare, then remove them and fill the washing machine with water. Mix the bleach into the water carefully and thoroughly before adding your drapes. If you use a front-loading washing machine, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the quantity of bleach to use, since there is so much less water in a front-loader to dilute it.

After bleaching with hypochlorite bleach, it is best to neutralize the bleach in order to prevent it from continuing to eat at your fabric. You should purchase some Anti-Chlor for this purpose. See "How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?", for more information about neutralizing the harmful effects of bleach.

Finally, you will see that even fully bleached linen is not as bright as you expect to see in a white. This is true of any natural fiber, even after bleaching. You will need to apply optical brighteners, which are otherwise invisible fluorescent dyes, in order to brighten your fabric. You can purchase this as Rit Whitener and Brightener, or from Dharma Trading Company as "Optic Whitener". This product should be applied in the washing machine in very hot water, preferably around 160°F.


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