Problem washing quilts with cotton batting in a front load washing machine
 

I wash my quilts on the gentle cycle with cold water in a front loader. When I go to put them in the dryer they are sopping wet. I've tried putting them through another spin cycle, but that doesn't seem to do much good. I end up squeezing as much water out as I can before putting it into the dryer. Does anyone else have this problem? Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Thanks in advance for your much appreciated advice.

I just washed one on Sunday and it worked fine! I used regular wash though.

my front loader doesn't spin out much on gentle (delicate on my machine). It is made for lightweight fabrics and items only. Check your manual to see what your front loader does on gentle. :)

yep, I have to use the regular wash cycle as well.

My front loader does the same on Gentle Cycle, no matter what contents. Always have to use the Drain & Spin cycle afterwards to get the water out. It is a 13 minute cycle.

On your machine can you run a regular cycle i.e., not a gentle cycle, spin? Sometimes I do that with my front loader if I plan to dry something flat and I want as much water as possible out of it first.

You nedd to have your spin cycle set to spin harder.

my kenmore front loader has different spin speeds. check yours for same, the slower spin speeds don't get as much water out. i suspect that the gentle cycle on your machine is a slower speed. Never have any problems with my quilts using the quick wash on my front loader. i can still set it for cold, have it run shorter and still spin at normal speed.

Ditto all the above. Always use regular setting and medium spin. Sometimes things are spun so well they barely need the dryer.

The gentle cycle on my front loader doesn't have much of a spin. I have no concerns with washing quilts in my front loader on a regular cycle. The action of a front loader is gentler than the agitation of a top loader with that center post in the tub.

If you still want to wash on a gentle cycle, I agree with other posters, run a rinse-and-spin cycle afterwards.

I have a front loader and I don't seem to have a problem. I just wash mine on the Casual setting and it seems to spin out enough of the water

I wash gentle/cold and then run a 2nd spin cycle on medium, works pretty good even on king sized quilts.

This is just one of the many reasons that I despise my front loader.

I just washed my King size quilt in my front load with no problem. Since it does not agitate, I use the reg. cycle.

I wash mine all the time and I wash on the regular cycle in the front loader. I don't worry about it because there is no agitator.

Are you washing it alone? The only time I had a problem was when I tried to wash a quilt by itself. Last quilt I made sure there were towels and t-shirts in with it and everything spun out well.

Cheers, K

Just MHO, but I think that washing on the normal cycle in my front load washer is so much better than the gentle cycle in my top load washer. I prefer to wash my quilts on normal cycle in the front loader. The excess water spins out.

My ultra fancy front loader (that I got for about 40% reg. price) has a spin selector for every cycle. In addition, it also has a "spin only" cycle. So anything that doesn't feel dry enough gets another round of spinning.

I'm guessing your washer isn't large enough to handle the weight so it can't spin properly. You might investigate taking it to a laundromat and using their biggest washer to clean it.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my front loader. My only complaint is if I drop a sock or washcloth, there's no way to add it later.
BUT, mine is the biggest I could find and it has a bunch of cycles, cold, warm/cold, warm/warm, hot and sanitize temps, several spin speed choices, several soil level choices, extra rinse, extra spin and a "spin only" cycle. It also has a hand wash cycle that is so easy on stuff--barely tumbles it, then lets it rest, pretty much like you'd do if you were washing in the sink. I use this cycle a lot for washing new fabric. It doesn't let the ends fray as much as a regular cycle. (Big Blue Elecrolux!)

If the machine is too small for the wet weight load, nothing will make it spin harder. (my guess as to what her problem is!)

I always use the regular cycle, same one I wash towels with and I've never had a problem. Love the wrinkled look of a fresh washed and dried quilt!

Thanks everyone for your comments. I just finished a small baby quilt that needs to be washed. Since it is small, I will add it to my next load of towels and wash on the regular cycle. I think I've been a bit timid about using the regular cycle which spins on high. So, in a few days I'll give it a try. Thanks again.

My thoughts about this: A high spin isn't going to do much to a quilt other than press it up against the sides of the tub. I don't see this creating much wear on a quilt.

I have Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer and I use cotton batting and successfully wash and dry quilts with no problem. If they are brand new and I am washing a quilt before I send it out, I use the "short cycle"; still comes out beautiful. Is there a problem with your washer?

Make sure your load is balanced! If they are small, add towels or another quilt so it doesn't experience a severe unbalance, which will shorten the spin cycle.

Yup. I had the same problem. We are staying in an apartment complex after losing our home to Hurricane Sandy and I just hate using the front load washing machines in the laundry room. I washed a quilt the other day and spent a good half hour over a trash can squeezing and squeezing. It eventually went into the dryer but that took forever.

I don't have any problems washing quilts in my front loader...I purposely purchased a front loader because of making quilts......that being said....I have had a problem with it not spinning dry enough....WHEN.....the lint trap is full in my washer...thank goodness for The Hubs who valiantly lays on the floor and unclogs it for me.....

I had the same problem with my front loader, I found that if I wash my quilts with a towel, the towel seems to soak up the extra water.

I have a front loader and I really love it, but I have had the same problem. Trying to wash 1 baby quilt doesn't let it spin out. Wash 2 and it was fine. Mine also has different speeds for drying- some cycles will let you change and some won't. As for not being able to add something after it has started, someone else mentioned that to me before we got ours, but I can with mine. I do it all the time. I have the Whirlpool Duet Sport. It has a pause button that will unlock the door so things can be added. About the only things the machine can't do is dye fabrics- which I never do.

The first time I used my front loader to wash a quilt I encountered the same problem. I had the quilt in there by itself & the service people (over the phone) told me it was because the load was unbalanced & they were right. I threw in a few towels to balance the load & the machine worked perfect. Give it a try & see if that solves your problem.

I wash my quilts on the "hand wash" cycle. I also have to run the drain and spin cycle twice.

Mine is the same on the gentle cycle.

My Samsung front loader has a bedding cycle. It takes longer but I haven't stood there and watched it but I think it stops and reverses direction to adjust the placement of contents for better washing and or spinning. I haven't had any trouble with queen sized quilts or bedding. If I don't have the time then I just use the quick cycle. Haven't had any problems with that one either.

i have found that it is necessary to balance the load with some other item or it will not spin properly. This was especially true of things like bath mats that were very heavy when wet. Try putting in another item like an old,not too much fuzz towel to help balance the spin.

What is the value of adding ANY more weight to a front loader? There is no "balance" issue.

front loaders don't have balance issues

the front loader was unbalanced??????????

I use regular wash - and no problems here with the rinsing. I do you cold water detergent and just the regular rinse cycle. They come out perfect - love my HE front loader.

Why are you washing them on the gentle cycle? That is the problem. On gentle, is does not spin as fast; therefore, the quilt and/or clothes are more wet. Try a regular spin cycle and see if that helps. GiGi

I reset the washer to spin only after washing and spinning on the gentle cycle although I have a couple that I do on permanent press cycle. This is normally adequate, but I have one that is heavier and I do it a second time on spin only. Works fine for me. Hope that made sense.