I wash mine to make sure my giftee does! You'd be surprised how many times giftees have told me they've never washed their quilts because they were afraid of ruining it. I had one friend who hadn't washed hers in almost 5 years! Now I wash them before I give them, and tell them "It's already been washed once. The more you wash it, the softer it will get" so they're not afraid to wash it. That, along with making sure my colors don't run, lol.