Can I Bleach Polyester Linens?

Can I Bleach Polyester Linens?
September 3, 2019 2724 view(s)
Can I Bleach Polyester Linens?

Whether you launder your rental polyester linens at your own facility or you send them out to be professionally cleaned, you want the same ultimate result — crisp, clean, white linens that don’t have any dirt, wine, or other stains on them. Plus, you want to make sure that the seams of your banquet tablecloths remain tightly stitched for a brand-new look no matter how old they are.

That’s why many venues and rental companies opt for bleach to clean their white polyester linens and napkins. However, it’s crucial to do a bit of research beforehand to know if bleach is safe for your inventory. The experts at Event Stable have put together a guide of when it is (and isn’t) okay to wash with bleach.


The short answer is yes… sometimes.

You never want to use bleach on anything other than pure white polyester linens. That means any black, patterned, or colored tablecloths are automatically out. This also includes any fitted rental linens that contain Spandex, like these fitted cocktail table covers.

 

However, all white linens are not the same. If you have stock of silk or cotton rental tablecloths, you’ll want to double check the laundry care tags before adding bleach to your laundry load. (You’ll also never want to mix materials in one load, so be sure to wash your polyester linens separately from any other material you may have.) Since the vast majority of rental linens are polyester, you probably won’t run into this issue, but it’s good to keep in mind just in case.

If you do have plain white polyester linens, bleach is fine to use in small amounts. If there’s a very stubborn, dark stain on a white tablecloth or napkin, you may want to directly apply a diluted bleach mixture on the stain and leave it on for a few minutes before tossing it in a washing machine. Extremely bad stains may require this treatment more than one time for best results.

It’s important to note you should never apply pure bleach onto your polyester linens. It’s much too strong and can weaken the fibers over time.

Once you’re happy with the state of the stain removal, wash your linens in cold water. You can toss them in the dryer afterward only if you use low heat, or you can opt to line dry them and steam iron them before their next use.

When trying a new laundering method for the first time, you should always test on a small patch of the material first to observe the results. The last thing you want is big bleach spots all over your polyester linens!

With these tips, your stock of white polyester linens can last you through hundreds of events. If you have any questions about your rental items or need to pick up a few more tablecloths, give us a call at 866-360-4642 to speak with a rental representative today!

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