DonnaFreak

Howdy y'all ☺

I'm in the process of making my very first baby quilt! I always wash a quilt before I gift it because I love the puckering effect, and because I don't want the recipient to freak out after they wash it and it gives it a different look. LOL! But I'm not quite sure what I should do as far as washing a baby quilt. My baby days are long over, and I won't be having any more grandkids either. So I don't have any baby laundry detergent sitting around, and I hate to buy an entire jug of it just to wash one quilt! So for those of you who have made baby quilts, what do you do? Should I go ahead and wash it with the detergent I already have and include a note to Mom about the soap, or should I just bite the bullet and buy the baby detergent? I guess I probably sound cheap here, but buying a detergent that won't be used again just seems wasteful of the detergent AND the money to me. Any suggestions?

Donna

Tartan

I would just pin a note to the quilt that it has not been washed OR wash it with no detergent or fabric softener.

bj

You could probably wash with a smaller amount of detergent then rinse an extra cycle or two. That's what I had to do with my son's diapers. Wash once, rinse 3. He had very sensitive skin.

Painiacs

I agree just use tiny amout of soa plus extra rinse

mom-6

If you use a fragrance free liquid laundry soap you should be ok anyway.

quiltingcandy

I'm not sure why you couldn't use the baby detergent for other clothes? A cousin was helping her daughter with the new DGD and got some food on her shirt. So she used the baby detergent on the spot - it worked great. She had remembered it was for washing dirty diapers so it worked great. I tried it and it was very good. I really like using it for towels.

Must admit it never occurred to me to not to wash the baby blanket in regular detergent - but then I usually use the fragrance free items because some of the smelly ones are too much for me to wear.

CanoePam

After one very bad experience with a seam that came undone after my recipient washed a quilt, I always wash my wuilts before gifting them. Just wash with your regular detergent. If the recipient is cautious, he or she will rewash it as they please before use anyway. Of all the items we make, baby quilts be washed the most.

Pam

quiltsRfun

That's my suggestion as well.

Bree123

I wash all my baby quilts (family & clients) in Tide Free. Most parents only use Dreft for the first few months after their first baby. My sister researched it & found that Dreft is basically Tide Free with "new baby scent" added. If you don't want to buy a fragrance/dye free detergent, I'd just wash it with a regular detergent & let the mom know that you've already washed it in "regular detergent" and provide her with washing instructions. If fragrance is a concern to her, she'll know how to wash before giving it to baby. Some parents don't worry about special detergents, so it might not even be an issue.

ckcowl

Just use vinegar instead of detergent.