washing quilts
11-13-2009, 08:24 PM
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: lost in fabric & I'm not coming out until Secret Quilt Angel is over.
Posts: 938
Wash it in cold water with a cup of salt once it is washed DON"T let it sit in the machine take it out as soon as it is done and pop in the dryer. It should be fine.
11-13-2009, 08:28 PM
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I always use Synthrapol until I am sure the fabrics will not bleed. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they rinse away rather than settle in other fabrics. You still do need to watch the wash cycle and take the quilt out as soon as it is done, so wet fabric isn't sitting against wet fabric for very long.
Synthrapol is widely available in quilt shops and online, and not very expensive. I have used color catchers in regular wash loads that I suspected might bleed (especially blacks and reds) and fine that one doesn't always catch all of the loose color. I think Synthrapol does a better job.
Also, if you still have some of the dark blue fabric around, take a few small pieces and run some experiments. Let one piece sit in a glass of water and see if color bleeds into the water (bleeding). Let another wet piece sit on a piece of white fabric for awhile, rub the fabrics together, and see if any color transfers (crocking). This could set your mind more at rest before washing the quilt, as even dark fabrics often do not bleed anymore. This is because the chemicals used to dye fabric have changed over the years.
Synthrapol is widely available in quilt shops and online, and not very expensive. I have used color catchers in regular wash loads that I suspected might bleed (especially blacks and reds) and fine that one doesn't always catch all of the loose color. I think Synthrapol does a better job.
Also, if you still have some of the dark blue fabric around, take a few small pieces and run some experiments. Let one piece sit in a glass of water and see if color bleeds into the water (bleeding). Let another wet piece sit on a piece of white fabric for awhile, rub the fabrics together, and see if any color transfers (crocking). This could set your mind more at rest before washing the quilt, as even dark fabrics often do not bleed anymore. This is because the chemicals used to dye fabric have changed over the years.
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