I think washing the quilt in any decent detergent is fine (I use Cheer). I do like that my top loader uses a lot to water for rinsing. No fabric softener needed because the last thing I want is a slippery quilt. I cringe when I visit a new mother in the hospital (the babies are in the mother's room here) and the room is full of friends standing around in their outdoor coats, some smelling of smoke. What happened to 2 visitors at a time and no one touching the baby except the parents and hospital staff?