I am new to the board and I am in desperate need of help.

Here is my problem.
I recently moved to Germany (my husband is in the military). When we got here I was horrified to find out that our movers not only used my quilt to wrap up a table, but it got wet and after 2 months of being in storage is now covered in mold stains. The quilt means a lot to me, my grandmother (now deceased) made it for me when I was a teenager.

I need some advice on how to get the stains out. I have tried Arm and Hammer laundry soap and also Milton sterilizing solution. Some of the stains have lighted, but they are not gone.

Also, we have to file a damage claim against the moving company and I need to figure out how much the quilt would be worth. As I said before I am in Germany, so my options are limited to the internet or via telephone. To me the quilt is priceless and irreplaceable, but I have to come up with a monetary value. Any suggestions?

Thanks

oh my gosh! what a horrible thing they did!

Laying it in the sun my help..

so sorry for the trouble your going through with this cherished quilt!

Oh my Gawd!!! Iwould probably find an antique dealer or search out on the internet how to put a price on it even though there is no price acceptable for your loss, Also check with the movers to what your deductible is on your contract or if you bought extra insurance Good Luck!
Sandra

Baking soda and vinegar might take most of it out. Make a paste of baking soda and rub into the quilt, let set for a few minutes and then add a small amount of vinegar. Rinse and see if that helps.

Sorry for your loss. My daughter is also a military wife and has went through the same times many times.

Good luck. There is no price to compare with your keep sake.

Welcome from central Florida. Do you have access to OxyClean? That might help. It sure is a beautiful quilt!

Welcome from West Tennessee, the quilt is lovely, I'm so sad this happened. I'm afraid whatever removes mildew will also remove the vivid colors. Good luck.

Welcome from Michigan.:)So Sorry about your quilt.

I know this is going to sound horrifying. but when the kids were little my son got his favorite shirt wet and hid it. When I found it it was covered in mildew. I put cold water in the sink and put in a cap of bleach. Let it stand a while and scrubed it aginst it self between both hands. I have also done blankets this way filling the washer with cold water and 1 cut of bleach before I put in the blankets. Don't have pictures but the mildew came out and did not fade any of the color in the blanket.

Hope this helps, sorry for your lose

I am so sorry that this happened to you. What an aggravating heartbreak!!!! The tips you've been given by the board members are excellent, so I won't offer any more. If you are looking for a quilt appraiser, google Bobbie Aug. She might be able to help with a photo appraisal. I am including a YouTube video that might also help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jnc_rPKsCg

Most times, unless you have an actual insurance appraisal, the best you will get is a bulk rate settlement. My girlfriend moved and the movers did over $10,000 worth of damage to items that were extremely valuable and unique. In the fine print of the contract, it said that damage would be paid at so much a pound. She ended up with $500.
I wish you look in cleaning the quilt. This board is great for everything.

Hello, and welcome from Idaho!

Friend of mine removed age spots with Nonfat buttermilk and lemon juice. She happened to have a spare bathtub to use soaked it over a week.

OMG this is awful..I am so sorry that the movers did this..Try Oxyclean..It did wonders for a wedding dress that had stains and yellow marks..Just soak it in a big plastic pool or tub and every once in awhile kind of swish it around and take some of the water out and add more water and oxyclean ...it says the hotter the water the better..

Hello and welcome from Minnesota!
I am sorry to hear of your dilema. Let us know if you have any luck with all the suggestions you've gotten.

First, welcome to the board!
I am sick over your problem!! Movers have done a lot of damage with me also but a quilt?? How frustrating that people don't realize how important quilts are to us.
In my case they were breakables and some antique chairs so I sent in the amount I paid and was reimbursed. No amount of money can replace your quilt.
I hope you find a solution :)

I'm so sorry !

OMG..so sorry..I have old quilts from my Great Grandmother and Grandmother too..my dog was in heat..got blood on it..I didn't know it for a while..I took and washed it on gentle..laid it in the sun while wet..poured proxide on it and it all came out..that might work for you..hope this or somebody on the board can help you !! Good Luck from Arizona !!

Welcome to QB, lots of good advice already, something should work!

Bless your heart! Here is what I found:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20376377.tip.html

Welcome from TEXAS and condolences from the heart. I use Spray and Wash on the areas and it does a good job, too. We're all sad about this damage. Hope it all works out for you. Glad to have you as part of the group!

Welcome to the board but my sympathies on the damage to your wonderful treasure.

I concur on the OxyClean idea and soaking for a while.

Also, if there are still stains after that, try blotting with a cloth dipped in lemon juice and setting out in the sun. Not on the prints but every where else it would work as a bleaching agent but without the fiber destroying aspects of peroxide or chlorine.

Hello and Welcome to the board :D:D:D
So sorry that this happened!

welcome from se TX -- good luck!

OMG - how horrid.

I have nothing to add but prayers. Hopefully one of the suggestions given will work.

Please, please follow up and let us know how you make out.

Thank you all for the advice and kind words. As soon as it stops raining here I am going to try some of your suggestions. I will keep you all posted on the progress.

Welcome to the board. I have nothing new to add to the good tips given. Just want to lend support. Hope you have success in getting rid of the stains.

That is so sad! Hope you can find a solution.

So sorry for your trouble - hope you can resore your quilt. In the meantime, welcome to the Board from Arizona.

This solution works but be sure to run your water with the bleach in until the machine is full and has agitated a time or two. I do this with stubbon colors all the time,

Welcome from Omaha, NE!

When my son was a baby and had some white t-shirts that got stained, we used a solution of chlorine bleach and automatic dish washing powder diluted with a lot of water. This is really strong, though, and might take the color out of the prints. Try it on a small area first...

What were those guys thinking! I hope this works...

I HAVE READ ABOUT USING WHITE VINEGAR, HAVE NOT HAD TO EVER DO IT...

Hello from San Gabriel, California

Welcome to the board!! I'm so sorry for your loss. That is such a beautiful quilt! Hopefully one of the members recommendations will work. The bleach one is one that I would try - but I would just put it on the stain, avoiding the lovely colors as much as possible.

Hi Angie and welcome from NE Ohio. Sorry to hear about your quilt. Hope your able to repair the damage, and get compensated for the damage they've done. Good luck.

A friend of mine had made a double wedding ring quilt for her son and his wife. They had a moving company move them from FLA to IA. The movers used that quilt to pad the refridgeor (sp?). The moving company took two weeks to get the truck delivered. When it arrived and got it unpacked..They had mildew on that double wedding ring quilt. The moving company said it that not what quilts are for packing?? The nerve of them. My friend told the quilt and used q-tips with dulled bleach on them and worked on every spot. Took her hours and hours. She remade the same quilt for their 3 wedding anniv. The moving company did pay for the fabric as a settlement. Just not fair. Sorry to hear about your quilt.

I am so sorry about your quilt. I had some mildewed clothes and used hot water and bleach. It took it out but I don't know if you could do that to a quilt. I am married to a man who spent 20 years in the Army. I got so tired of moving. We have been in the same house for 20 years now and I don't miss the traveling at all.

Angie, I just want to extend a warm welcome to you from Long Island, NY. You will find many new friends here. My hope is that one of the solutions offered here will work on your cherished quilt. Please let us know what happens.

A company called Biokleen makes an oxygen cleaner I absolutely love. You might try that. If all else fails remember that the quilt has already seen tons of history, and this accident has added your family's move to its story.

Not ideal, but this is what life is, right? Home arts like quilting should tell our stories, the good and the bad. Without our histories all quilts may as well be mass made. :)

I so like oxi clean for most everything. I spray, let it even dry and may do this two or three times before I actually wash it in washer. It is so good for cleaning so many things. If you do not have it ask family to send you a box of it :)