I do wash mine, but always with hesitation. I'm so worried something will bleed, or shrink excessively and distort the entire quilt. So far, that fear has not been realized, but if it does, I'd rather have it happen to me, not the recipient. I can't recall a time I didn't think the washed quilt looked softer and more inviting than the prewashed quilt, and my goal is to have the person USE the quilt. If it isn't soft and inviting, I'm afraid it won't be used, and I don't want all my efforts to be stuffed in a bin or box.