Love Your Linen (it’s cool to care)

We all love a crisp linen outfit and our summer whites, but let’s be honest, they don’t always love us back. Between matcha drips, red wine spills, and morning coffee mishaps, life happens. And we’re not about to let the fear of a stain keep us from wearing what we love. So, we rolled up our sleeves and did a little stain test of our own.

We got some great feedback in our reel comments. Turns out, we’re not the only ones with a grandma-approved trick or two.

And if you’re in LA, join us on April 27th for our Linen Laundry Club! We’ll have DIY stain testing stations so you can try things out yourself! And feel confident about wearing your new linen + bright whites. (More details on the event here!)

In the meantime, it never hurts to be prepared:

 

THROW THESE IN YOUR PURSE:

• Grandma’s Secret Stain Remover: A sleeper hit that worked surprisingly well across the board. Easy to stash in your bag, and a solid first step before you can get to a proper wash. Don’t be alarmed if it turns your red wine stain a little green. That’s part of the magic. Weirdly enough, it means it’s working!

• Tide-To-Go Pen: Tried, true, and still one of the best for everyday mishaps.

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KEEP ON HAND AT HOME:

• Lemon

• Club soda

• White vinegar

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Baking soda

• Dawn Dish Soap

• (Soilove + Branch Basics come highly recommend as well)

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**Save or pin these graphics to refer to later! ⤹

With some research and testing ourselves, here’s our little cheat sheet to common stains.

COFFEE:

Caught with a coffee spill at brunch? Ask for a lemon wedge and some club soda. Dab a little lemon on the stain and follow up with club soda—it’s surprisingly effective if you act fast. We’re calling this the “Bistro Method” since you can get your hands on soda and lemon at almost any cafe.

MATCHA:

Matcha can be stubborn.. but a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (1:1) made a big difference for us. Apply, let sit for 10–15 minutes, then wash as usual. Just be sure not to skip the wash. This combo needs a rinse cycle to fully lift the stain.

OIL STAINS:

For anything greasy (looking at you, oily pesto), classic blue Dawn dish soap worked wonders. Massage it in gently, let it sit, then launder. It’s tough but not harsh on linen.

WINE:

We’re still chasing the holy grail for red wine. Blotting, baking soda, and club soda helped somewhat, but nothing removed it completely in one go. The quicker you act, the better your odds.

TOMATO:

Scrape off any excess sauce gently (no rubbing) and rinse with cold water from the back of the fabric to push the stain out. Apply a small amount of dish soap (Dawn works well here) directly to the stain and let it sit for 5–10 minutes. If it's still lingering, try dabbing with white vinegar or lemon juice to help lift the color. Wash as usual—but avoid the dryer until you’re sure the stain is gone, since heat can set it.

SWEAT:

Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water to create a paste. Gently scrub it in and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing. For tougher spots, add a little hydrogen peroxide. Use caution on colored fabrics, as peroxide can lighten them. A splash of white vinegar in your wash cycle can help break down odor and buildup.

BLOOD:

Cold water is key. Avoid hot water, which can set the stain. Rinse immediately if possible, then dab with hydrogen peroxide. Use extra care on darker fabrics. For set stains, try a paste of baking soda and cold water. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and launder as usual.

If you have any stain removal tips, feel free to use this post as a bulletin board!

**Save or pin these graphics for later! ⤹

We can’t promise every stain will vanish, but we can promise this: a little care goes a long way. And a stain never has to be the end of the story. ;)