You unfold the good tablecloth before guests arrive. Perhaps it’s the one your grandmother brought out for family dinners, with embroidery you’d recognize anywhere. You want it ready for another gathering, but the thought of shrinking it or disturbing its colors gives you pause. Fine linens deserve care that takes those concerns seriously.
Margaret Clutter founded Margaret’s the Couture Cleaner in La Jolla in 1953. Today, we’re the nation’s first 5-Star Certified Couture Cleaner®, certified by Leading Cleaners International. You can bring your linens to one of our five Southern California stores or ship them to us from anywhere in the U.S. through CleanByMail®. Our household services include the bedding, table linens and family treasures that make a home feel like yours.
What makes fine linens so easy to damage
Many household textiles haven’t been preshrunk, and their dyes may not be colorfast. Cleaning without accounting for those qualities can mean shrinkage or bleeding colors. A piece that looks ready for a simple wash may need a much more considered approach.
Embroidery, lace and other delicate details add to the questions a specialist must consider. Silk bedding and high thread count sheets also call for particular attention, including extensive hand finishing. The fabric and its construction matter as much as the stain you can see.
That’s why patience and testing belong at the center of luxury linen cleaning. Choosing a treatment begins with understanding the textile, rather than assuming every sheet or tablecloth can receive the same care.
Two levels of care at Margaret’s
We care for all bed linens in-house, with two services suited to different fabrics and finishing needs. The distinction helps explain why even two sets of cotton bedding may require different attention.
Traditional Bed Linen Service
Our Traditional Bed Linen Service is for cotton and cotton/poly blends only. We address stains and clean the linens, then press them by hand. Minor mending, inspection and packaging are also included.
We return bedding grouped into sets, so the pieces are together when it’s time to change the bed. Hanger packaging is another option, available for an added fee.
French Hand Laundry™ Service
Our French Hand Laundry™ Service provides the extensive hand finishing required for:
- Silk sheets
- Linen sheets
- Bedding with a thread count of 600 or higher
- Highly detailed linens
For these pieces, the extra hand work is part of the care they need. Cotton content alone doesn’t place a sheet in our Traditional service: a 600+ thread count or elaborate detailing calls for this specialist service, too.
Table linens and the holiday season
Fine table linens can be part of the pleasure of hosting. A damask tablecloth, a cutwork runner or embroidered napkins may be as familiar at your table as the dishes you serve. Thanksgiving and Christmas bring those pieces out again, often alongside memories of earlier gatherings.
They also bring wine, gravy, candle wax and lipstick stains. Bringing linens to us soon after the event gives us the opportunity to treat stains while they’re fresher and easier to address.
The same care matters after a birthday dinner or a quiet evening with friends. A tablecloth doesn’t have to be an antique to deserve thoughtful attention to its fabric, color and details.
Heirlooms that carry family history
A Victorian crazy quilt or napkins embroidered by your grandmother can hold a place in your family that a replacement never could. It’s understandable to hesitate before entrusting them to someone else.
Our Heritage Household Service considers an item’s age, construction, dyes and condition before we recommend treatment. Those details guide the decision about what care is appropriate. Removing a stain is only worth it if the fabric can safely handle the treatment.
We also restore museum and historic textiles. Our museum restoration flip book offers a look at that work. For your heirloom linens, the starting point remains the individual piece and what its condition allows.
Beyond the bed and table
Our household care also includes comforters, bedspreads, slipcovers, draperies and select upholstered furniture. Services for window treatments and furniture sit alongside care for area rugs, from vintage Persian rugs to modern deep-pile shags.
In our delivery areas, our team can take down and re-hang your draperies, and we also offer on-site cleaning. During linen cleaning, we look for small repair needs, including hems or seams that have begun to come loose.
Restoring linens after accidents, water, mold or smoke damage is another of our specialties. Our smoke damage restoration page covers that part of our work.
Wherever you live
Our linen cleaning service is available through five Southern California stores: San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Newport Beach and Los Angeles. Our household services page explains the care available for your home’s textiles.
Elsewhere in the U.S., you can send linens through CleanByMail® and receive them back carefully packed. See how CleanByMail® works.
We’d be glad to hear about the pieces you have in mind. Contact us at (858) 454-2375, request a household estimate, or arrange to send your linens through CleanByMail®.
Frequently asked questions
Can luxury bed linens be professionally cleaned?
Yes, we care for cotton, silk, linen and high-thread-count bedding. Fabric and finishing requirements determine which of our two services applies.
What is French Hand Laundry™?
It’s our specialist service for linens requiring extensive hand finishing. Silk, linen, 600+ thread count bedding and highly detailed pieces require this care.
What’s the difference between Traditional Bed Linen Service and French Hand Laundry™?
Traditional care includes stain treatment, cleaning, hand pressing, minor mending, inspection and packaging for eligible cotton and cotton/poly bedding. The French service provides extensive hand finishing for the fabrics and details listed above.
Can silk sheets be dry cleaned?
Silk sheets require fabric-specific care. At Margaret’s, they receive our French Hand Laundry™ Service; we don’t assign them to Traditional Bed Linen Service.
Can antique or heirloom table linens be cleaned?
Our Heritage Household Service assesses these pieces before recommending treatment. We consider their age, construction, dyes and condition.
Can yellowed or stained vintage linens be saved?
An assessment is the starting point. Our Heritage Household Service considers the piece’s condition and dyes before recommending treatment, rather than promising restoration in advance.
When should I bring in my holiday table linens?
Bring them in soon after the gathering. Stains are easier to treat when they’re fresh.
Does Margaret’s repair linens?
We look for minor repair needs, such as loose hems and seams. Traditional Bed Linen Service includes minor mending.
Can linens damaged by water, mold or smoke be restored?
Restoring linens affected by these kinds of damage is one of our specialties. A particular piece needs assessment before a treatment recommendation.
How are cleaned bed linens returned?
With Traditional Bed Linen Service, bedding comes packaged in sets. You can choose hanger packaging for an added fee.
Does Margaret’s clean comforters, slipcovers and draperies?
Yes, these are included in our household services. We also care for bedspreads, window treatments, area rugs and select upholstered furniture.
Can I mail my linens if I don’t live in California?
Yes, CleanByMail® is available throughout the U.S. Your items are returned carefully packed after specialty cleaning.
Where can I find luxury linen cleaning in Southern California?
You can visit any of our five stores listed above. Our team is available at (858) 454-2375 to discuss your linens.