just curious
 

As anyone ever tried using an old mattress bad for batting? I asked this because last week while in Goodwill there was a cotton twin size pad with straps and not the part that makes it fitted. Would this work?

I don't see why not.

Our church quilting guild uses them in our charity quilts. It would work out just fine.

I don't see any reason why you can't use it for batting/

Huh.
I never heard/thought of donating them for that use.

Great idea.
Thanks.

I have one I am saving to use as batting. The sides kept ripping but it was still fairly new so I cut the sides off & plan to use it as a quilt batt. It is going to be one warm quilt!

Yes, I have used them. I am always a little squeamish about using those owned by others (found at thrift stores or garage sales), but I have occasionally used them if they are in excellent condition. I always wash them first.

I've used them plenty of times and the same for blankets. There's no law that states you have to use batting. I have a friend that cut apart sweat shirts and pants and zig zagged them together and used that as batting. Her brother says the quilt is great, and nice and warm.

If the pad is good material and construction---------------yes, I've used it. Be cautious, some of the stuff appears to be decent but if you take heat to it, you'll see it melts. Found out the hard way, I washed and dried a couple pads-----------and had a melted mess.

My washer has a "sanitize" cycle, so I don't much care where stuff has been before------------it's clean when I'm done with it. Same with jeans and pants I use for my shopping bags--------into the sanitize cycle and we're good to go.

Yep, I would and have used it for batting. Some of the very old mattress pads are quite thick and make great potholder filling.

My husbands' grandmother use to use them for making pot holders/ hot pads.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have a couple of old cotton ones that I have been saving-Anything I buy at thrift stores or garage sale I wash with hot water and some kind of bleach.

a mattress pad made the bestest batting for my friend. She found it still in the package and we decided to try it on a baby quilt. It came out so puffy and looked great

what a great way to re-use! Thanks for the idea!

I've used them (it) for smaller wall hangings that I'm keeping. They work just fine.

Those mattress pads also make great padding for your lovely varnished table top. Make it the size of your table, cover with a nice table cloth and if someone sets a hot dish anywhere on your table it will be protected from the damage! They also make great padding for potholders, hot mitts, or grab mats for your counter tops to protect them.

Sounds like a good idea. But my question is does the cross grid stitching texture on the mattress pad show thru on the top or backing of the quilt where it hasn't been quilted? I'm not talking about being able to actually see the stitching thru the fabric.

The stitching on the mattress pad should not show at all. I've pieced batts many times, and some were layered where they joined, but once the quilt is tied or otherwise quilted, no one was the wiser. (Just don't hang my quilts over the windows at the show. lol) What I'm wondering about is lumping. Some old mattress pads that I've seen were all lumpy. So be careful about the quality. But I have used them and had no problems.

I have used them for doll quilts.

I use them and had no trouble with them I also use older blankets or cheap stiff blanket it makes one heavy warm quilt let me tell you.My grandmother,mom and now me of course uses them can't go wrong by using them instead of filling up the land fills.When we can we should re purpose everything we can.

They work real good .They are not going to shrink anymore. I have made dozens of quilts using them and they are all still together.And the majority of them are used for camping

The very first quilt I made was from a cheater panel given to me by my sister, so I decided to make a play quilt for my daughter to use when she played outside. I really, really, did not know what I was doing, so I used two - yes I said two - layers of an old mattress pad, plus 2 layers of polyester batting. Amazingly, my old reliable Sears Kenmore machine loved to sew heavy fabric, so she had no trouble doing some stitch in the ditch around the squares on the cheater panel. I used purchased seam binding to bind it and Kari used it for years, especially when playing with her dolls outside, no rocks or sticks got through that quilt. LOL. It was, however, a heavy quilt, but I've since learned that "less" is more. Every quilt I make I learn something, so that's a good thing, but I still laugh every time I think of that first quilt.

mattress pads
 

I bought several at the Thrift Store and they work just fine.

I used old mattress pads and leftover fabric to make mats for my pets.

They would be perfect for me to use. I never iron a finished quilt and would not worry about heat. I only buy ones that can be washed on dried. Warm water and bleach should kill any germs. They would reall be perfect for making comforters or tied quilts.

I love this board! All these things I've heard and read and been told I should NEVER do and everybody does it! Wouldn't the quilt police have a heyday here! But, yes, I confess to using them too. If they're in decent shape, I don't see why not. That's what washing machines are for!

I, too, use them all the time. Sure saves $ not having to buy batting. I always check out the yard sales & thrift stores whenever I get a chance just for the mattress pads & covers. I also use blankets for batting. The only time I buy batting is when I make a quilt for a customer. With them paying for the quilt, I feel it should be the real thing. Besides, they are paying for it not me. LOL I would not open my door for the quilt police. There would be way to many violations. Anything goes with my quilts.

They make one very nice thick blanket! I use them for making beach or picnic blankets!

I use them when I find them and the right size for the quilt. I always wash with hot water and some bleach when I buy them. I have one I keep for my kitties to sleep on - they tell me it's quite comfy for them.

The hotel where my husband stayed was going out of business and I bought 10 mattress pads, thinking I would use them instead of batting. Then, I started thinking about how many people slept on them and couldn't bring myself to use them. So now we use them when we move furniture or lay on the backseat of my car when taking the dogs to the groomers. I just couldn't get it out of my mind how many hundreds of people had slept on them. They were $1 each and were queen size. I've given a few away to people who are moving. I like using batting and after spending so much money and time on a quilt top, I don't mind spending a little bit extra for nice batting. I just bought quite a bit of batting on sale at Joann's for a really good price, so it's not breaking the bank.

they'd be fine if you washed them in bleach

I have also used them for some lap quilts and always on the look out for wool blankets too.....

I have frequently used old mattress pads as batting for small quilts. The only problem that I have found is that it makes a very heavy, but warm, quilt. It is actually too warm for most uses here in south Texas.

This is great news for me! A few months ago I accidentally took off the mattress pad when I was changing the sheets. I decided to throw it in the washer with the sheets. As it turns out, that overloaded the washer, and it ate the side netting of the pad. I've been saving it in hopes of using it for batting. This thread gives me hope. It does seem as though it would be very warm. I'll keep that in mind when deciding who to give it to.

Depends on the fabric and the batting used. I've used old pads more than once. Basically, you can test their durability by throwing in a hot wash and then a hot dryer. If they survive-------use them

Yes, I have used them for quilt batting and it works just fine.