Washing a new quilt

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10-17-2009, 02:23 PM

#11

Flagmom

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Join Date: Oct 2009

Location: Riverside, Ca

Posts: 9

what is a color catcher and where do I get one?

10-17-2009, 02:47 PM

#12

bearisgray

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Join Date: May 2008

Location: MN

Posts: 24,654

I always wash my fabrics before cutting them.

By the time the quilt is finished, it will have been handled a lot. And my cat "assists" me. I wash mine in a top loader (it's a decent sized one) washing machine on a SHORT gentle cycle with lots of water and a small amount of Shaklee detergent or Dreft.

Sometimes I'll rinse it twice.

Then dry on a gentle or permanent press cycle until BARELY dry. If it's a really large quilt, I'll take it to the laundromat where they have the BIG machines.

But I make what I call "utility" quilts - I expect them to get used a lot.

10-17-2009, 03:11 PM

#13

brendadawg

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Join Date: Nov 2006

Location: MN / GA

Posts: 1,435

You find Color Catchers in the detergent section of the store, near where you find the dryer sheets and the pre-treats. They're great. I use them all the time for all my laundry.

10-20-2009, 01:34 PM

#14

JCL in FL

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Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: Daytona Beach Shores, FL

Posts: 2,352

you can also get catchers at Joanns

07-07-2011, 10:40 AM

#15

Granny Quilter

Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2011

Location: WY

Posts: 991

Thanks for the info. I just made a quilt that I will enter at the fair, and didn't know if I should wash it first.

07-07-2011, 10:51 AM

#16

RkayD

Super Member

Join Date: Sep 2010

Location: Oklahoma

Posts: 1,830

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim's Gem

I wash all my quilts before they go out the door. Unless they are a wall hanging. I throw them in my front loader and (gasp) I use a very small amount of Tide and some Downey. I figure that whoever I give the quilt to will wash it "normally" too. I toss them in my front loader dryer at a lower setting and when done I spread them across a chair to make they are fully dry before going to their new home. Most of the time I throw in a color catcher as well.

I do the same thing except I dry it on high all the way. I want my quilts to be used and loved and that includes living in the real world. IF a seam pops or the fabric doesn't look like its going to hold up I want to know that before I send it off. =)