Has anyone washed an old quilt in a front loading washing machine? I don't know any way to stop it to soak. Wonder if the spin will be too hard on it. I have 6 or 8 of my great grandmother's quilts. Then need repair and have brown stains. Store in Space saver bags for the last 5 years.

is there a gentle cycle or hand wash cycle either way it would seem to be better than a regular washing machine

Yes, there is a gentle cycle. I have read to soak it in the bathtub in a laundry basket with all fabric bleach for a day or two then lift the basket out. Maybe I could do that then put it in the machine on gentle to finish up.

Grammy, that's the only thing I don't like about my front load. I have many old quilts. Now what I do is soak them in the large sink in my laundry room.
I rinse them thoroughly before putting in the machine b/c those front loads don't like a lot of detergent etc.

I don't think I would put a quilt in a front loader that is an antique. Even though it is getting tumbled, that is still a lot of stress on the older fabric and seams.

In a top loader, you soak it, let the water drain and then spin the water out, repeat to rinse, not letting it agitate or for only a minute or so. You don't have this kind of control with a front loader :D:D:D

Yes, there is a gentle cycle. I have read to soak it in the bathtub in a laundry basket with all fabric bleach for a day or two then lift the basket out. Maybe I could do that then put it in the machine on gentle to finish up.

Those were my thoughts and why I asked.

I would use Retro Clean for the soaking part:
http://www.retroclean.com/

A front loader should not be too hard on the quilt if you use the gentle or hand wash cycle. I would add extra rinses.

Whether you use the hand agitation method in a top-loader or use the front-loader, the spin cycle should not be too hard on the quilt. It is the agitation cycle in a top-loader that is really hard on a quilt.

The spin cycle is important because it gets so much of the moisture out of the quilt. You don't want moisture staying in so long that mold has a chance to develop.

I would not put an antique quilt in a dryer. Just block it on top of a clean sheet and place a fan on it to speed drying.