But if the quilt is to be only ever washed in cold or warm water, why do you prewash in hot water? Won't cotton shrink in warm water? And isn't prewashing in warm water emulating how the quilt is to be cleaned during its' lifetime? When I was a veterinary nurse I was taught that the best temperature to remove blood stains and so forth was cold water, and most stain remover products are also compatible with cold or warm water washing so why would you use hot water on a soiled quilt? Hot water can set some stains/dirt I thought?