I wash all my quilts in my regular washing machine. I made two king size quilts and did not have a problem.

I am curious as to why you think that. Wouldn't it be harder on the stitches with the batting heavy and wet, as it lifts up and then down?

Hugs,
Charlotte

I lay mine on the floor on blankets and run a few fans over them. Works great, except for all the dust the fans discover and blow around. It's allergies for me, but the quilts are dried very gently. :)

hugs,
Charlotte

i tried to wash my moms sherpa/mink comforter in mine. it fit fine, but i left it to soak all night, it absorbed all the water and would not agitate again the next day. it took 2 of us to drag it out of the machine soaking wet. was not a good experience at all.

I would be terrified to use a laundry mat. You never know what the person before you washed and if the machine was cleaned. We have three laundry mats here in town, but we also have two horse racing tracks. Those filthy horse blankets leave the washers unusable. One place does keep everything clean, but I went there to wash some large rugs the washers smelled like diesel fuel. Yes someone washed shop mats (these are heavy pads similar to the pads movers use to wrap furniture when loading into a moving truck, they are used under the truck for the mechanic to freely move around and to also absorb any oil or fuel that may leak during repairs). My husband owns a diesel repair shop, but sends his mats out, cost more, but he refuses to let his trashy mats ruin someone's washers.
I would be so afraid some nasty stuff that may not be noticed in the washer, may ruin a quilt. I hand was my quilts in the bath tub. Great upper body exercise!

I wash my king size quilt in my front loader, dry for a bit then spread it on my bed and turn the ceiling fan on high. Dries pretty quick. If it feels damp on the under side, I just turn it over and repeat the process. A lot easier on the back than putting on the floor.

Central agitators are notorious for twisting whatever is in them, which is why they can be hard on quilts if you don't skip the agitation cycles. Several Europeans I know who moved to the U.S. complained about the central agitators, as they are much harder on clothing than front-loaders -- the twisting and pilling (from excessive abrasion) take the "new" look out of clothing fast compared to front-loaders.

The falling of a quilt in a front-loader is not hard on the stitches, especially compared to the stress on the stitches if a quilt is twisted or hung on a clothesline (continuous water weight on the specific stitches on the line).

Some of the newer domestic top-loaders do not have the central agitator, and these are probably easier on quilts too, but I am not familiar with those.

Do not use a laundramat you are not familiar with. Eons ago, I put a huge crocheted bedspread into a commercial dryer and toasted all the cream colored yarn. Brand new blanket I'd spent hours and hours designing and making.

Thanks for the explanation about the front loaders, Prism99. :). I will be replacing a washer soon, so i've been thinking about how one would be with a quilt.

hugs,
Charlotte