We all see an influx of table linens around the holidays, maybe not something we do a lot of during the year and we get calls from clients about special wash programs and products to make it a little easier to clean these.  Surprisingly, most tablecloths and napkins will clean extremely well in just a basic hot laundry program using Trebon Plus but we do have some suggestions and tips for really making these items shine.

How to clean linens with Trebon Plus

First, inspect them before cleaning, make sure you are not dealing with last year’s stains.  Old protein stains might need a long soak with some enzymes and old wine stains will need some help with an oxygen bleach but it is best to treat those separately and always start with the older proteins first.

Items coming in after the holidays should be opened up and shook out to remove any solids that may get wrapped up when the table is cleared.  No sense trying to wash pie crust or chunks of turkey.  Look for any wax and remove this before washing, sometimes you can use a solvent to do this but usually, it’s a slow process of mechanical action with heat from the steam gun.

Table linen will clean better with a warm  ( 100f -105f) prewash with some alkalinity and degreasers added to it, about 4-6 min is enough, and drain but don’t extract after.  A main wash with Trebon Plus in hot water ( 125F-150F) for 18-20 min will take care of the rest. If you can fill with warm water and steam up to temp it will give the enzymes in Trebon a little bit more time to work on protein stains before the bleach is released but if you don’t have that option a straight hot fill is fine.  Remember that Trebon contains a large amount of oxygen bleach along with an activator, adding additional powder bleach is usually a waste of product, and chlorine bleach should never be added to wash bath.  Three rinses and a little Ottalin Finish in the final bath should produce a brilliant white and stain-free product ready to be finished to crisp perfection.

Are you processing table linens with multiple colors, holiday prints, or high-end linen ( as opposed to cotton or poly blends)? Don’t worry, we can help with those as well, and usually, it is just a matter of reducing the temperature or mechanical action.

A few items you may want to consider having on hand to clean linens:

  • Derval Energy – for removing heavy grease and fat stains.
  • Deprit Professional spotting kit- for targeting specific stains before washing.
  • Ottalin Finish– for a perfect amount of starch in the final rinse.

If you need more details, please give your Kreussler rep a call, and they would be happy to help.