Just another note about vinegar - it is an acid. I use it all the time as a fabric softener, but keep in mind that it can harm your quilt. Even a very dilute acid, such as vinegar, can cause harm if it is allowed to sit on your quilt for too long, or in too high of a concentration. In other words, don't just open your washer and poor vinegar directly onto a quilt (or anything else, for that matter). You only need a little bit, and it is better poored into the water in a full washer rather than poored onto a quilt itself.