QandE2010

If you use liquid detergent, it doesn't need dissolving, right? I use Tide-Free & Gentle HE Liquid Laundry Detergent with very good results. It is truly free of perfume and harsh chemicals.

vschieve

I also use the Orris soap, and none other. In the dryer I use a "Less Dry" setting on my GE Profile gas dryer. That way it does not get as hot as a regular "More Dry" setting, and the sensor for humidity tells it when to stop heating. By the way, I buy the Orvis soap at a feed supply store in the big plastic container. Much more economical than at a fabric store.

zozee

Since I use a lot of bright colors in my quilts, I wash on cold. For ones with light colors only, then I will use warm, just like I'd wash outer cotton clothing. My quilts are always 100% cotton, including batting, so I will dry them in the dryer (permanent press) . I have to fluff it a few times to make sure all of it gets dry. If it were get any disgusting thing on it, I'd wash on hot to thoroughly disinfect it. I use whatever detergent I have on hand.

carolynjo

I wonder sometimes what type of detergent is used to launder quilts. Some of my "gifted" quilts look so faded and worn! I have worked with folks whose clothes look faded and worn before their time also.

M cubed

I use Orvis for the first wash when I finish a quilt, with warm wash and cold rinse on the regular cycle. I also use the high speed spin, and then throw it into the dryer with No Heat (sometimes called air fluff) until damp dry. I will say here that I use dryer balls to keep the quilt from bunching and not drying evenly. I then lay it out on the guest bed (on top of a white sheet for protecting the bed AND the quilt), do a rough block and let it dry that way. I live in the desert so hanging on a clothes line would be giving the quilt to the sun as a sacrifice, and because of the lack of humidity, drying only takes a couple of hours.

marha dansby

I wash mine in cold water and throw it in dryer, works for me...

IowaStitcher

I use Orvis to wash. Mine usually have glue spray to hold the sandwich and I often "Elmer's glue" the binding before sewing so this must go. Depending on where you live, cold water can have different temps due to the groundwater temp(gets slightly higher as you move to the south) so I like warm water. I take mine to the dreaded laundromat ;-) where I can use a front loading machine that lifts and drops the quilt rather than twisting it as it would in my top loader.
The clothesline is my favorite place to dry, weather permitting. And this allows good light to inspect for stray threads, a separated seam or other repair that might need to be done.