Originally Posted by
Euclid440
"I don't see how you can get linen with this type of weave soft as a cotton sock. Maybe that was an exaggeration and you just meant it was really pliable and easy to work with? Sorry, OCD moment".
No, it wasn’t.
Soaking in mild soap, scrubbing, rinsing in vinegar rinse water and rolling between soaking, relaxes the fibers. One on line linen cleaning site recommends soaking vintage linen in clear water for as much as 5 weeks to fully hydrate the fibers, before adding any detergent, bleach or Oxi-clean
My bride rinses our towels and linen in vinegar, added to the rinse cycle in the washer and they come out soft and whiter, removes the soap, it also cleans the tub of dried soap scum.
In your case, it appears the hose was well used and damaged when you received it, using Oxi-clean may have damaged the flax fibers further.
There are very specific direction for using Oxi-clean and especially rinsing it from the fabric. Additionally, Oxi-clean is not a detergent, it is a detergent booster of Hydrogen Peroxide, with clear warnings about concentrations and breathing the fumes.