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The article “Why linen is the best material for sauna textiles” answers all your questions regarding linen. Also, we get to know the 100-year-old Jokipiin Pellava-company. 

Why is linen a great material? 

Why choose linen for sauna textiles? 

What are the special properties of linen? 

How to take proper care of your linen products? 

It is often thought that linen is a difficult-to-care fabric. However, linen is very easy to clean and keep in good condition. 

Flax 

Flax is a plant of the genus Linum, especially Linum usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk. It is also known as linseed, especially when referring to its seeds. It has been cultivated since the Stone Age. The ancient Greeks and ancient Arabs also knew the medicinal properties of the plant. 

Linen can grow up to 120 cm high. The leaves are narrow and light green, the flowers are light blue or white. The seed pot contains a maximum of ten shiny dark brown seeds. 

The golden age of flax cultivation in Finland was in the 18th century. With the invention of man-made fibers, the cultivation of flax almost ceased. Now it has started to rise in popularity again. The cultivated area of ​​flax in Finland is about 1,200 hectares, which is about 0.5 % of the total cultivated area. 

Source: Wikipedia 

Why linen is a great material 

Linen has many wonderful properties; breathability, good moisture absorption, beautiful gloss and strength. However, the fibers cannot be bent, and they wrinkle easily. Everyone knows that linen trousers wrinkle almost instantly. 

Linen is used for towels, bathrobes, sauna textiles, tablecloths, embroidery fabrics, warp yarns and in various interior and clothing textiles. 

Linen repels dirt very well and is also antibacterial. 

Linen fabric becomes softer and more absorbent after every washing. Therefore, linen is, in my opinion, the best material for sauna textiles. 

Care 

Linen fabrics are usually washed at 60 degrees. Wet textiles before washing, as linen textiles need a lot of water. This way the water dispensed by the washing machine is not absorbed into the textiles and more water is left for washing and rinsing off the loose fiber. 

Only wash your linen with similar colors as the fabric may fluff and bleed color. Cold mangling gives the linen fabric a beautiful shine. Iron from the inside through a damp cloth at a maximum of 200 degrees. You should always follow the product instructions. 

Care instructions for linen textiles 

• Remove stains as quickly as possible using organic products. 
• Wet the product before washing. 
• Wash linen separately (wash darks and lights separately, too) 
• Fill only 50% of the washing machine. 
• Spin lightly and straighten the textiles to dry. 
• Mangle or iron textiles when wet. 
• NO dry cleaning. 

My own experiences with linen products 

Linen is perceived as difficult fabric because it wrinkles easily. Personally, I think everyone knows that linen wrinkles so I wouldn’t stress about it. 

I think the great qualities of linen are often overlooked. For example, the fact that it dries incredibly fast and well. Also, linen towels need very little space. You can save space in your sauna/swimming bag when you upgrade your old towel to a linen one. There is no need to iron it, the raw texture of a washed linen is actually very nice. 

I have been using linen sauna bench covers for several years. The patterns and colours on the covers are lovely and earthy. Washing and caring for them has been really easy. 

Jokipiin Pellava gave me a linen roll towel to try and I must say, it is absolutely wonderful. I always feel like I am in a German Saunawelt when I use it. It is big enough to fit my bum and my feet comfortably. Best of all, it needs very little space. That is definitely a plus because my sauna bag is always filled to the brim. 

Read more: How to order ecological sauna products

Questions for the 100-year-old Jokipiin Pellava company: 

Where does your linen come from? 

Our raw material is linen yarn, which we source mainly from northern Italy, where flax fiber is spun into linen yarn. 

This flax is grown in the fields of northern France, where French farmers harvest and pre-process it for spinning. 

In what form does the flax arrive at Jokipiin Pellava and what happens to it? 

Linen yarn is a raw material we source from Italy. We weave fabrics from it, which are used to make sauna towels, bathrobes and other sauna textiles. 

How do you make the linen fabric? Does the process need chemicals? 

Linen fabric is made from yarns by mechanical weaving. This way we never use chemicals in the manufacturing process. Hot water vapor is “the strongest substance we use”. It is used when we want the fabric to be very smooth. 

How is ecology taken into account in Jokipiin Pellava? 

• We think ecology is too narrow a concept – we prefer to talk about responsibility. Responsibility applies to all our operations, not just the environmental friendliness of our products. 

• Responsibility means e.g. that we use raw materials carefully – nothing is taken to landfill – the raw material comes to us in cardboard boxes, which we reuse when we send out customer orders. 

• When the fabric is cut into towels, small amounts of pieces of fabric are left as a “side stream”, and we sell them in our factory store to avid sewers. 

• We use the heat from production machines (e.g. air compressors) to heat the production facilities. 

• We do not use chemicals in production and the annual water consumption of the entire production corresponds to the water consumption of one family of 4. 

• Our production takes place entirely in Jokipii. A few sewing subcontractors work about 10-15 km from our factory. Our products are transported as little as possible during the manufacturing process – it significantly reduces our carbon footprint. 

• The raw material we use, linen, is a time- and use-resistant material and our designs are classic.  

• A linen towel doesn’t start to stink even if it kept in a damp bathroom (unlike a cotton towel), a linen towel can be used multiple times between washes. 

• Our province is characterized by frugality – That’s what Jokipiin Pellava has always been – now it’s called responsibility. 

• Our cotton and linen yarns are Ökotex certified. 

• Our linen yarn is also Masters of Linen certified. 

Jokipiin Pellava turns 100 this year, how have you celebrated the year? 

We have launched the Jokipii 100-anniversary collection, and Vappu Pimiä has designed her own Vappu in the Sauna-collection for us this year. A lot of effort has been put to both projects. 

We started our 100th anniversary celebration with a staff party, but soon after that the “Corona Time” began. All the events we planned were canceled, including Interbad trade expo in Stuttgart. 

Thank you for your answers, CEO Timo Laurila. 

Wonderful properties of linen textile: 

• Dries quickly 
• Absorbs moisture well 
• Is durable 
• Is dirt repellent (antibacterial) 
• Has a beautiful shine (after ironing or mangling) 

Jokipiin Pellava is a 100-year-old family business from Ostrobothnia, Jalasjärvi, Jokipii village. The company has been in business for three generations and the future of the company looks bright. All products are manufactured in Finland and the company employs 27 people. 

Jokipiin Pellava has collaborated with. Vappu Pimiä. This spring, her new product line “Vappu in the Sauna” came out. You should follow the Sauna Maailmalla-Instagram account, there is a great giveaway in this year´s calendar! 

Before using linen textiles 

• Follow the washing instructions. 
• Always wash textiles before use. 
• Wet the product thoroughly before washing. 
• Linen textiles shrink by 7-10%. In the first washes, they might lose loose fiber. 
• Check the lint screen before and after washing. 

It is also possible to order corporate gifts from Jokipiin Pellava. You can customize them with your logo or slogan. You can find more information in the OmaDesign section of their website. 

A few tips: 

• Store linen textiles in a roll. 
• If the product has been stored in another way and / or is wrinkled:  
• Spray water lightly on the linen with a spray bottle, wait a moment and it will straighten on its own. 

I hope that this article “Why linen is the best material for sauna textiles” provided answers to your questions. 

The article has been made in collaboration with Jokipiin Pellava. The information and tips from the article can also be found on Jokipiin Pellava’s website.