Not all of us are physically able to do hand stitching, so I get pretty irritated when someone implies I don't care about a quilt I am making if I don't hand stitch the binding. The arthritis and carpal tunnel (both!) in my hands just won't let me do quality hand work, and I am not going to do lousy hand work. I sew my bindings to the back, flip them over, and then do a decorative stitch to attach the front. My favorite is a feather stitch, but I have used others. Sewn this way they are robust and easy to care for. Most people comment very positively on the decorative stitching too.
Note the main charity I quilt for, Quilts for Kids, requires machine sewing on bindings because it stands up to the hospital washing machines.
Pam