We all know preparing for the holiday is a stressful time, between food prep, gift buying, cocktail parties and your in-laws; it is easy to forget about the linens. However preparing your linens ahead of time is a surefire way to stay ahead of the holiday planning game. Here are three helpful ways to prep your linens for the holidays.
Take Stock At The Holiday Planning Game
The first step is pulling all your linens from storage and the various closets it was stuffed into after last holiday season. Once you have all your linens out, you should examine each piece and look for stains, tears, rips and frayed edges. Put aside the pieces that have no damage. And, take a closer look at the ones with the rips etc. Pick out the pieces that are repairable and throw away the ones that are no longer suitable for use. Once you have all your usable pieces take stock and make sure you have enough for all you entertaining needs. If not, it may be time to order some fresh inventory.
Seek Professional Help At The Holiday Planning Game
While it is always tempting to save some cash around the holidays and try to clean linens on your own, it is not worth it in the long run. Linens are tricky fabrics that really require the care and expertise of a professional. These are items that you will want to pass down through generations. So, you should place their care with an expert who has experience with different trims, fabrics and textures. If you choose to wash them on your own, the colors will fade over time and your linens are the center piece of the dinner party so you want them looking sharp! Finally, as you all know, ironing linens can be a time consuming, back breaking process. This is one place during the holiday season that you can really save some time and energy. A professional will have your linens beautifully ironed and packed properly. So, you can just hang them in the closet after the cleaners and they will be ready to go for each party. Along with, every holiday planning game.
DIY Napkins At The Holiday Planning Game
The items that you can probably save on and wash at home (as long as they are not family heirlooms) are the napkins. The tricky part here is the ironing to make sure they are as sharp as your profess inlay cleaned table clothes and runners. Make sure your iron is clean. An iron with mineral deposit will leave brown stains. The napkins should not be completely dry, press them smooth and let them finish air drying. If you plan on molding the napkins into shapes for your party, you will want to use a starch. Finally, store the napkins flat until you are ready to use in order for them to stay looking their best for the day of the party.