I wash two quilts from the 50s all the time. Fill the washer with your detergent in it. Put in the quilt and let it soak a few minutes, then agitate, spin and rinse on gentle for the short wash cycle. I switch my washer to the regular cycle for the last spin to remove as much water as possible to cut down on dryer time. Dry in a large dryer until almost dry and spread it out to dry - a sheet protecting the back of the couch works for me. One of the quilts looks new and the one I used heavily looks used, but not from washing.