I also wash them in my washer with some white vinegar in the wash cycle. Often times you will have to repair a seam or two.... I had to replace fabric on one quilt. The same fabric just frayed away in all the blocks. You have to remember that years ago people often quilted for utility, not beauty. They used fabrics from old clothes that might have been worn out and sometimes the fabrics weren't all cotton. Even if they were, they might have a dye that weakens them over time. And, bleeding colors is another problem. The colors weren't always fast back years ago. That's why I add the white vinegar.