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DMC is an embroidery thread & they are designed to be the thinnest threads on the market. As a result, they need extra special care & even at that, I probably still wouldn't use them for quilting. If you do, you want to stick to an embroidery needle -- size 75/11 or 80/12. It's not ideal for quilting, but will keep the thread from fraying on the eye. You need to make sure to swap in a fresh needle more often (I'd go every 4-6 hours), to oil your machine regularly, and depending on the spool, you may need to add a washer underneath to keep the thread from getting caught between the bottom of the spool & your machine.
Aurifil is not nearly as frail as the DMC machine embroidery thread. I use a 70/10 or 80/12 Microtex or quilting needle (my favorite is 70/10 Microtex). I put thread on sideways spool pin and remove the disc from the spool so I only need the tiniest spool pin cap. Thread should pull from the underneath side. I use the same thread top & bobbin. I clean with dusting brush and put a tiny drop of oil on my bobbin case every time I change the bobbin. For laundering, you don't want to ever wash in hot water or dry on high heat as heat will cause the thread to crackle and eventually fray & break. In an ideal world, quilts would be either hand washed or machine washed in top-loading washer on gentle cycle with a dye-free detergent (no bleach; no fabric softener ... both of those weaken cotton fibers). Then, either lay flat to dry; or lay flat for first 30 minutes, then put in dryer on low heat until mostly (90%) dry & laid out flat to dry the rest of the way. Personally, I only have so many hours in the day so I wash mine on gentle cycle on cold with Tide Free, and then dry completely in dryer on low heat. Unfortunately, if it's going off to college where you pay by the minute for using the dryers, it's likely to be dried on High heat. Best bet is to encourage him to bring it home to be laundered. Be sure to put his name on it (ideally stitched, not just on a label) as I know a couple of people on my dorm floor had their quilts stolen. One found her quilt, but couldn't prove it was hers because the label was cut off. Maybe keep a photo of it, too.