Let me start off by saying that the love for linen seems to be an acquired taste and for people who are used to the smoothness of cotton a linen duvet cover might therefore not be the best choice. Linen being one, if not the oldest of all recorded woven fabric methods known to man, differs from cotton in the sense that the fibers are hollow which gives it that typical cool, dry and earthy feel. Thanks to its superior insulating quality it keeps you cool in summer while retaining the body heat in winter.
Differences Between Cotton and Linen
Cotton yarn is spun from the very fine fibers of the cotton plant twisted together. The finer and longer the fibers, the smoother the finished product will feel. That is why the quality is usually measured by thread count. A higher thread count will make the fabric feel softer and will generally be more expensive. This however also means that the fabric is slower to dry when exposed to sweat, leaving the body feel damp and moist.
Linen on the other hand is made from much coarser fibers coming from the flax plant. These fibers are much larger and hollow which gives linen its typical feel. Fabric weight rather than thread count is therefore the preferred standard when it comes to buying linen. The higher price tag of linen is also because growing and weaving the flax takes a lot of time and skill. The upside being that once you are hooked on linen, you will know that the benefits of linen don’t even compare to cotton.
What is a Duvet Cover
In the US most people refer to a duvet cover as simply a duvet. This is in contrast to Europeans and Canadians where a down comforter is regarded as being a duvet. Regardless of where you are living, a duvet cover is basically like a pillowcase protecting and covering the actual pillow. In this case the duvet or down comforter would be the pillow and the duvet cover the pillow case.
Maintenance and Washing
Although linen can be machine-washed care should be taken to do it right if you want to preserve the durability of the material. The preferred method is a front load washing machine using a warm and delicate washing cycle. If there is no other way you can air dry the linen duvet cover on low air and remove it from the machine before it is completely dry. The best method is still the old fashioned clothes line. This reduces the possibility of wrinkling during the drying process. Linen can consequently be ironed at a high temperature to give it that cool and crisp linen feel and look.
Finally it is your own personal choice to check if a linen duvet cover is right for you. If you are new to linen, try purchasing just a linen pillow case just to find out how it feels. Remember that linen outlives and outshines cotton in many ways and once you are hooked on linen there’s no turning back, it seems.
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