Customer service

Wash & care

When you choose to spend extra on quality products from Geismars, you want to know how to keep them fresh and clean. Even the highest quality can use a few maintenance tricks to stay sharp and crispy.
In this guide, we help you to make your Geismars products last even longer.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions on how to maintain your Geismars linen.

FOR ALL GEISMARS FABRICS

All our products should be washed before use. This enhances the absorbency, ensures loop retention and shrinks the fabric into its right size.
Always wash white, bright and strong colors separately to maintain original color.
Use just the right amount of detergent. Do not add too much as residue will absorb into the fabric and leave the linen stiff.
Avoid using fabric softener. It will leave the textile fibers less absorbent and more prone to pilling. Try adding a dash of white distilled vinegar instead – it helps prevent lime scale buildup and retain color.
Clean your laundry machine at least once a month. Residue from beauty products and other chemicals can affect your washing results.
Avoid soaking for larger stains. Try using glycerin or a stain remover instead.
Is your bed linen closed with bamboo buttons? Hang them to dry while they are newly washed. Bamboo buttons – as well as any kinds of wood – will stain bed linen when left wet in the machine.
Look out for cosmetic products on your fabric. Cream, oil, makeup, hair products, perfume and similar products holding fat, oil, silicon, color, perfume etc. can contain chemicals that cause discoloration, staining and bleaching. When combined with detergent, these products can permanently damage and discolor textiles.

AESTHETIC SUSTAINABILITY - SUSTAINABLE USAGE

Your fabrics’ durability is affected by washing, drying and everyday use. Even though you probably have a favorite set of bed linen, we warmly recommend changing the linen regularly. Spending 6-8 hours in bed every night sets high standards for any fabric material. By switching between different sets of linen, you automatically prolong the lifetime of your products. We recommend rotating between a minimum of 3 sets of bed linen – one for the closet, one up for laundry and one in use.

It might sound like quite a collection - but compared to a linen shirt or an ordinary pair of canvas shoes, it is easy to picture how having extras can prolong durability. We put on a fresh clean shirt every day, yet sleep (most of the time) in the same bed linen several nights in a row. Keep them fresh by changing regularly.

COTTON

HOUSEWIFE TIPS & TRICKS

An old housewife tip said to soak towels and similar cotton textiles before use. It was a great tip even back then when laundry machines had yet to be part of the household – and oil or dirt stains had to be removed by hand. Today we are lucky to have laundry machines do all the dirty work. At Geismars we still recommend washing your cotton textiles before use for various reasons:

Cotton shrinks. Our measurements are therefore always given after shrinkage to ensure a perfect fit after washing.
Cotton can contain a bit of natural wax or spindle oil from the weaving loom. This needs to be washed out of the fabric to ensure the best absorbency.
Terry cloth consists of loops that are very loose before washing. The fabric sets upon washing and gains its final structure upon 3-4 washes.
Handed by others. Your products have been though many hands before you take it with you back home. Make your new bed linen feel fresh and new with a wash before slipping into the sheets.

WASH, DRYING & IRONING

Cotton can endure high temperatures. Wash colored cotton at a maximum of 60 °C / 130 F – and always use a detergent suited for colors to protect the fabric. Especially dark textiles need special care.
Use white distilled vinegar for softening. If your area holds particularly hard water, add a cup of vinegar to your laundry machine for extra softness in the fabric.
Choose a light tumble dry for a soft and airy feel. But do so with consideration. Dry tumbling can wear textiles down in time.
All our cotton products can be ironed – except terry. You can get the most out of cotton percale- and sateen weaves when rolled or ironed, but it is by no standards a must.
Our ‘stone washed’ linen does not require ironing. It is softened with a stone wash which loosens the weave and gives the fabric its natural crumple.
Terry cloth consists of loops that can be very loose before washing. The fabric sets upon washing and gains its final structure upon 3-4 washes.
Did you find loose threads in your terry cloth? Do not worry – just use a scissor to cut them off.

WOOL

Geismars will always recommend that all lamb wool- and cashmere throws be maintained by a chemical cleaning to ensure the best durability and softness.

LINEN

Never wash our Linen by Geismars at more than 60 °C / 130 F. Use a delicate cycle option on your laundry machine to maintain the suppleness in the fibers.
Colored linen can endure washing at 40 °C / 104 F while white linen can handle up to 60 °C / 130 F.
Hang your linen to dry while still newly washed. Bamboo buttons – as well as any kinds of wood – will stain bed linen when left wet in the machine.
Choose a light tumble dry for a soft and airy feel. But do so with consideration. Dry tumbling can wear textiles down in time.
Avoid using fabric softener for linen as it will leave the textile fibers less absorbent. Try adding a dash of white distilled vinegar instead – it helps prevent lime scale buildup, softens the fabric and retains color.
Stone washed linen does not require ironing. As Geismars, our linen has been stone washed to achieve a natural crumple. You can, however, choose to steam the fabric with a steamer.

DOWN AND FEATHERS

AIRING EVERY DAY

It is a myth to wash down products to keep them clean. Washing can wear the product out if laundered unnecessarily.

Shuffle your duvet and pillow every day. At Geismars, we recommend maintaining your bedding by airing them to allow last night’s heat and humidity to evaporate. This keeps the down fresh and free from shifting.
Keep the bedspread tucked away in a drawer. It can be a lovely element to a bedroom - but when put on top of a warm bedding, it can keep the heat and humidity from evaporating. Instead, try shuffling your duvet and fold it once at the bottom. This allows the mattress and bedding to breathe during the day. Bedspreads are great for keeping dust out of beds not in use for a longer period of time.
Dry tumble your pillow once in a while. This keeps your down completely dry and free from humidity.
Let your down products air outside once a week. It is a great way to maintain your bedding while changing the sheets.

WASH

When caring for your down products as recommended, you can reduce washing times to only after illnesses and particularly sweaty nights.
Geismars duvets and pillows of Muscovy duck and goose down can be washed at 60 °C / 130 F.
Remember to always thoroughly tumble dry to ensure the airy feel and great quality. Use white tennis balls for drying as they help shuffle the down.
For Eiderdown duvets, always choose a chemical cleaning.

Do you have any questions concerning the care of your Geismars products? Call us on +45 33 33 08 30 or write us an email on info@geismars.dk – and we will do our best to get back to you on your questions. If we are unsure of the right answer, we will contact the Institute of Technology which frequently helps us with tests and explanations.