LONG-LASTING CHOICES & SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
Our materials are tribute to nature. We use only pure natural materials and recycled fibers, not to forget utilizing surplus and cutting waste. You can trust to our products’ quality; we have chosen the most durable and sustainable materials for you.
From this site you’ll find some information about all the materials we use and an answer to question; why we use so much linen. Detailed instructions on how to take care of linen products can be found at the bottom.
WHY LINEN?
Linen is a great combination of eco-friendly manufacturing, superb qualities and long-lastingness – that’s why we chose linen as our main material.
- The ecology of cultivation: Linen grows even in rugged soils and does not require aggregation or large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides unlike cotton. For example the manufacturing of one cotton towel requires about 2700 liters of water, and for linen towel that number is only about 6,4 liters.
3% of Earth’s field surface grows cotton but it uses over 20% of all of the pesticides. Cotton needs warm and humid climate to success and therefore it’s mostly grown in Asia. In addition to ecological problems there’re also a lot of ethical problems involved. Too often people make decisions based on only the price tag without seeing the problems hidden behind it – it’s easy to forget something that’s far away.
We want to do things differently. We want to know every step of the product’s journey, and we also want to share it with you. Linen doesn’t have to be taken far to grow, it actually likes it better in a little rough northern soil. Xeraliving linen products are made out of linen that is grown in Normandia, Northern-France. Weaving, sewing and dyeing is done in Portugal.
- Lifespan: Linen fibre is very durable and its properties only improve in use. At the beginning new linen may feel a bit rough but we promise you’ll fall in love in it if you give it a chance. The fabric softens with each wash, always becoming more comfortable. Linen is a bit more expensive compared to cotton but it also last much longer – that’s why it wise choice to invest in high quality linen.
- Good breathability, heat- and moisture transfer capacity: Linen is a breathing material that feels cool in summer and warm in winter. It feels wet only after it has absorbed 10-20% amount of liquid of it’s own weight. That’s one of the reasons why linen is so good material for towels and beddings. As a breathing, well moisture transferring and antibacterial material linen stays fresh for long. Linen towel doesn’t become stinky as terry towel will, and linen sheets won’t lose “the feeling of fresh sheets” before it’s really a time for wash.
Our linen products are Oeko-Tex100 certified which is a guarantee of their safety; there’s no any harmful chemicals. Read more detailed taking care instructions at the bottom of this site.
ORGANIC COTTON
Fringes and tassels in our linen waffle products are certified organic cotton which gives luxuriously soft and fluffy linen products a perfect final touch.
Our organic cotton fringes, tassels, logo ribbons and hanging loops are GOTS Organic- certified. GOTS- certification (Global Organic Textile Standard) is a proof of the product being organic, ecological and ethical. Fringes and tassels are made in Portugal from Turkish organic cotton raw material. Turkey is one of the biggest producers of organic cotton.
When washing products with fringes, you can comb through the fringes after wash if needed.
NATURAL CORK
Our vegan logo labels are natural Portuguese cork, which is harvested without harming the nature.
Our logo tags are made of natural Portuguese cork. Cork is harvested from cork oaks every ninth year without harming the tree. Cork feels a lot like a leather, but it’s completely vegan.
Our cork labels can be washed in normal washing machine.
Real leather logo labels used in our tote bags and HELGA scrunchies may be damaged in a water wash hence we recommend them only spot cleaning.
RECYCLED FABRIC
Carry your groceries in a beautiful recycled tote bag! Our tote bags are 100% recycled materials – fabric is recycled and the logo tag is from workwear factory’s surplus leather.
Our tote bags are 100% recycled fibres: 70% recycled cotton and 30% recycled polyester. Polyester makes the fabric stronger and makes it easier to handle the recycling process. In the manufacturing process the textile industry’s cutting excess and used clothing are torn into fibres and spun into new yarn. By using recycled fibres, water and natural resources are saved and we also help prevent the growing textile waste problem. During 2021 the handling and spinning will be done in Holland at the Circularity factory. Until then, the tote bags will be made at their collaboration factory in Tirupur, India. At the moment India is one of the leading countries in handling recycled textile fibres.
Real leather logo labels used in our tote bags and HELGA scrunchies may be damaged in a water wash hence we recommend them only spot cleaning.
Sustainable manufacturing and its’ environmental impact to our planet is very important to us. We have chosen only the best materials and producers to our products. With careful design and high quality materials we aim to make products that bring you joy for years to come.
CELLULOSE
Manufacturing of cellulose is energy self-sufficient. Also all the water that is used gets sanitized, recycled and reused.
Our cellulose art pieces are made out of Finnish cellulose by Sukarwood in Finland. Raw material used is FSC and PEFC certified softwood chips which are boiled to lump called cellulose. Main part of all the cellulose made is used to make paper and cardboard. Paper and cardboard manufacturing takes a little more grinding compared to pure cellulose. We can proudly say that our pure cellulose art piece is even more sustainable and eco-friendly option than normal poster or piece of art.
Cellulose manufacturing is energy self-sufficient – at its best the level of energy self-sufficiency is 240% which means there are even left over energy to be sold outside. Also all the water that is used gets sanitized, recycled and reused.
Despite of the light color cellulose doesn’t get dirty very easily. Small stains can be rubbed off with a rubber gum.
PAPER
All of our paper products are made out of certified, sustainably grown materials.
All of our paper products are either FSC or PEFC certified, which guarantees that the wood used as raw material has been grown in a well kept forest. In proportion to its size, Finland has the most forest in Europe, and currently the forest here grows more than it’s been harvested.
All of our paper products are printed in Finland, mainly in Printhaus Pori Oy and in addition in Juutiprint Ky in Vantaa very near to our showroom in Helsinki.
Our design packaging paper is 100% from recycled paper. Shipment cardboard boxes are closed with paper tape to make it fully recyclable in cardboard recycling.
PAPER WITH SEEDS
Our product tags continue their life as daisies when you plant the card to the soil!
When you buy Xeraliving textile product, you’ll get also flowers! Our product tags are made from biodegradable paper with flower (mainly daisies) seeds embedded within. You can plant them in soil or dispose of as biowaste.
BIOBASED FILM
Poster’s packaging looks like plastic but it’s actually a biobased film which can be disposed of as biowaste.
Our postcards and A3 sized posters are packaged to biodegradable biobased NATIVIA® film bag to reduce plastic waste. NATIVIA® bags are manufactured by Taghleef Industries in Italy. Film bag can be disposed of as biowaste.
We promise – with us you make only good choices. Our collection is always sustainable.
HOW TO CARE FOR LINEN PRODUCTS?
When you take good care of your linen products they will keep delighting your ordinary days in life as well as special occasions.
When washing linen it is good to remember a few things:
- Fibres are easily detached from linen especially in the first few washes, for this reason it is recommended to wash linen separately.
- Linen is recommended to be washed in the shortest possible program without a pre-wash. For best results, wet the linen before washing.
- Fill the washing machine only to its half when washing linen: this ensures that linen will get the needed amount of water to be clean and the loose fibers will be washed away. In addition, a half way filled machine will reduce wrinkling during washing.
- Chlorine bleaching for our linen products is prohibited, but you can use white bleach detergents based on oxygen bleaching for white linen. Please note that natural linen starts to lighten really quickly with white detergent, therefore use a coloured laundry detergent to maintain the depth of the natural beige hue.
- Do not use fabric softeners, it will reduce the absorbency of the fabric. Laundry vinegar can be used without worries.
- The recommended washing temperature for our linen products is 40°C. For environmental reasons we recommend washing in as low temperatures as possible. Linen is antibacterial and therefore it washes also in low temperatures.
- Linen should be spin dry only gently: max 800 rpm.
- If linen is left in the washing machine/laundry basket waiting to be set to dry, wrinkles are easily created, the linen will need re-wetting and ironing in order to get rid of the wrinkles. Linen can also be put through a clothes wringer. If you want to use a clothes wringer or iron your linen it is best done while they are still a bit moist. Please note that buttons and zippers may be damaged in a clothes wringer; for these products we recommend ironing avoiding zippers and buttons.
- Tumble dry only gently. The dryer loosens the fibres in the linen; the textile will get soft, but becomes weaker over time.
- The properties of linen include that it is scent-free and clean. Linen certainly does get dirty and will smell dirty, but it takes more time than with many other fibres. Linen does therefore not need washing very often. To ensure a long lifespan we recommend to wash the textiles only when needed and as gently as possible.
- Linen loves to be used! It will soften and feel better and ‘gets better with age’.