justnananettie

I am about to finish several baby quilts going to the NICU. They will be used to cover the isolets. I need to know how to be sure they will not "bleed/colors run". I have used the color catchers before but still had some colors that ran. I have read that salt works. How much and when do you add? Should I wash all together or separate? I am sure the hospital will not separate when they wash. Thank you for any help. I have a lot of time and money in this I want them to be able to use for some time.

Prism99

Salt works on some organic dyes; I don't think it works at all on modern chemical dyes.

My recommendation is to use Synthrapol and hot water in a washing machine that uses ***lots*** of water. I take my quilts to the local laundromat to do this, and use their largest front-loading washer. Front-loaders are easier on the quilts than top-loaders with a central agitator. Home front-loaders, however, do not use enough water to dilute dye bleeds sufficiently.

Synthrapol is widely available online and in quilt stores that cater to dyers. It is a type of detergent that suspends unset dye particles (these are the ones that lift out of the fabric) in water to be rinsed away, so they don't settle into other fabrics. It requires hot water to work properly, and you want lots of water so that any dye bleeds are diluted as much as possible.

As long as there is lots of water, you could the quilts together. I have washed a king-size quilt at the laundromat. You just don't want to stuff the wash tub so full that the quilts cannot tumble around freely.

ckcowl

Remember the hospital laundry will wash these in Hot water and they will be dried in a hot,industrial laundry dryer... Wash them first that way. Unless you dyed your own fabric with organic dyes salt is not going to do anything... Salt is used during the dyeing process to help the fibers absorb the dye.

Geri B

I guess my question is: why donate quilts to a hospital..especially the NICU unit.....isn't all things used there pretty sterilized? How long can a quilt last being washed in super hot water with probably very strong soaps, then dried in super heated dryers? Don't hospitals provide covers for the babies? Never been in NICU so don't know, excuse my ignorance?

tessagin

The quilters I am familiar with who donate quilts prewash the fabric, mostly cotton (no batiks). The last thing they need is an allergic reaction from material for a patient, NICU or not. They use mostly light/pastel colors!

pattypurple

Just a word- use unscented detergent and, if you use softener make sure it is unscented also.

Annaquilts

Are the quilts donated to the baby and family or to the NICU to keep? The NICU I donate to does not wash the quilt if the donation is to the baby and family. I second washing with hypoallergenic laundry detergent and not using dryer sheets.

As for the bleeding fabric, I would just keep washing with color catchers till they are clear.

I think specifications for size, color, materials and even if donations are taken vary from NICU to NICU. The NICU I donate to doesn't have any specific quilt size or color specifications. Larger quilts are used to cover the isolettes and smaller quilts to hold a baby and some of the smallest quilts might be used for little ones and a memory box for the parents. I did not see any hospital provided blankets only flannel receiving blankets. Also if a small quilt is used with a baby in an isolette the baby would lay on it. I did not see any hospital issued isolette covers and a special request was made for quilts that cover the isolettes so I made sure to have several in that were donated especially to the NICU to keep for this purpose along with others donated that the family could keep once the baby goes home. This is what I experienced at the NICU my DD had her babies at.

Feathers-N-Fur

When my DS was in the NICU 16 years ago, the parents provided the blanket to cover the isolet. He didn't have one until I was released from the hospital to go buy one for him. Receiving blankets and crib quilts are too small for this purpose. I will mention, I got him a blue blanket and it gave a blue shadow on him that scared his nurses a few times.

I wish I had been a quilter when my kids were little, all I made were tied quilts that were a solid fabric on top and a contrasting backing. My grandbabies will have lots of quilts from grandma someday.