Washing a finished quilt
 

I just finished a bed-sized quilt for my granddaughter's 10th birthday and want to wash it before giving it to her. Not sure what detergent/soap to use. It's very brightly colored so I do plan to use a color-catcher with it since I did not pre-wash my fabrics.

I pre-wash, but I also wash the finished product. I don't use anything special, sometimes liquid detergent, sometimes dry.

A long time ago, I didn't pre-wash a quilt, and when I washed, I had seams come loose. I always pre-wash now and sometimes even in the middle of the process to check for issues. I probably go overboard but that experience with loose seams had a long term effect on how I handle quilts. I usually make queen size quilts.

Serita

I prewash every fabric that comes into my house. I keep washing until the water runs clear. I'm very anal about prewashing. I don't want to have to deal with bleeding and with what I've seen how some people handle fabric in the store with disregard like wiping their sweaty necks and such. I definitely prewash.

With bright colors, and no pre-wash I would take it to a Laundromat. Use a large capacity machine with lots of water and several color catchers. You want lots and lots of water to keep any color run suspended in the water & not deposited on your quilt. I just use a tiny bit (like 25%) of my regular laundry detergent.

I wash my finished quilts in warm water, light amount of regular detergent and light agitation/spin cycle with at least 2 color catchers, then dry in a low heat dryer without softners. I like to wash quilts to remove spray starch, spray basting, check for loose seams and bleeding before gifting.

I agree with Paper Princess, take it to a Laundromat. My HE washer can hardly handle king size sheets, it simply couldn't spin a bed size quitl. On a large quilt I use 1/4 - 1/2 a box of color catchers. I use regular HE detergent.

Yes, do use lots of color catchers. It's worth it in the long run.

The only things I really fear on my completed quilts are bleach, burns, and rips.

I try to have the excess dyes out of the fabrics before i cut them - and if I have a bleeder I get rid of it.

I wash my finished quilts with the same laundry products that I use on my clothing. I have a large capacity, top loading (older) machine so don't have the same water (and lack thereof) issues that some others here have. I can wash my quilted (store bought - I know, but the dogs are not going to ruin something I put all the effort of a king quilt) king sized quilt in my home machine with no problems.

When I wash a quilt, I use a very mild soap made especially for washing linens and quilts. So many detergents are harsh for cleaning clothes so many have bleach chemicals even Woolite.

Me too! Pin the color catchers to the quilt with safety pins - they sometimes get stuck on the window section of the washer and don't do a good job.

I agree with previous posts, but I always use hypo-allergenic laundry detergent in quilts and my own clothes.

I wash all my quilts when they're finished, just to make sure there's no loose seams, etc. I use my regular detergent and a couple color catchers, more if the quilt has dark colors. I don't give them special treatment. I make quilts that are going to be used and used up, so I know they will be washed over and over without special treatment.

Cari

What is the name of the soap you use? Can you get it at stores, or do you have to order on line?

You know, I have seen the statement of people wiping their sweat off new fabrics before. The thought disgusted me so much, I don't believe if I ever saw anyone doing that in person I could keep my mouth shut. I prewashed before because I didn't want chemicals or bleeding

I had a problem of them getting in the drain line and having to call the repair man to get it out. Now they go in a sweater bag, it wont fit in the drain. LOL Than I wash as I would if they were dirty with my everyday laundry detergent and than into dryer.

I do what PaperPrincess describes, as the front-loaders at the laundromat use enough water to dilute any dye bleeds. For the detergent I use Synthrapol, which helps suspend any loose dye particles in the water to be rinsed away (prevents loose dye particles from settling in other fabrics). In my opinion, Synthrapol is more effective than color catchers; I have used them together on occasion.

Here is a link to Synthrapol on Amazon (does not have to be Jacquard brand):
http://www.amazon.com/Jacquard-Synth...dp/B0009IJZPY/
Just be aware that Synthrapol requires hot water in order to be effective. I like washing my quilts for the first time in hot water and Synthrapol so recipients will not have any surprises no matter how they treat the quilt, but some people do not want to use hot water.

I pre wash all my fabrics and wash and dry the finished quilt. I never had a seam come out anytime. I usually mark the blocks and rows with a washable marker and want to make sure they are gone. I wash in cold water with 2 or 3 color catchers and dry on regular heat. I give most of my quilts away and I'm sure they are handled like sheets or blankets.

I use Synthrapol if I think there is any chance of bleeding, but since I pre-wash everything I usually feel safe with the final wash. I have Orvus on hand (it's made for horses, but is excellent for quilts) but sometimes I forget and just use my regular mild unscented detergent. I bought my big jar of Orvus at a farm store - much cheaper than buying it at a quilt shop!

I wash every finished quilt in hot/warm water with Tide Pod and color catcher. I dry in hot dryer. I want no surprises when the receiver does it for the first time.

What is a color catcher? I was reading and don't understand what you are talking about.

Ah, i googled it and found out.
I also ran across this too:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/v.../991542146001/

Assuming bed-size means twin, you should be find to pop it in the washer. I use a dye-free detergent like Tide Free or All Free. I never use anything else (NO Clorox 2 or fabric softener). I wash twice in the coldest water setting on the slowest speed for the shortest cycle (Tap Water Cold / Handwash Cycle / 6 minute agitation). Then I put it in the dryer on Low heat until it is mostly dry. I hang it over the shower curtain rod or lay it flat to dry (clothes pins distort the quilt too much for me).

I do this for all my quilts (100% cotton fabric, thread & batting -- though I've also done a poly batt for home dec items) and they all come out great! No bleeding. No shrinking. Just that nice crinkly look that all cotton quilts get when they are loved. I like washing & drying twice because it makes the quilt extra soft to present to the recipient.

I use Woolite and fabric softener. The last one I just finished was red-white-and-blue and some of the fabric had not been prewashed. Tossed 3 color catchers in a mesh bag (because we have a front loader) and washed in cold. Did that about 3 times until the catchers came out clean. Hindsight - I should have gone to the Laundromat.

Color catchers come about 25 to a packet and they are relatively inexpensive.

I agree 100%

Thanks for all the info. I did go to a laundromat and used a double load washer. I used an organic, dye-free, scent-free, chemical-free detergent in cold water with three color catchers and partially dried it on low. I finished drying it draped over two poles in the backyard in the shade. No problems whatsoever. I will, however, get into the habit of washing my yardage beforehand. Thank sgsin.

I do not prewash and I wash all my finished quilts in my home top loader old fashioned lots of water washing machine with scent free laundry detergent (I make my own powder) with a couple color catchers and then put in the dryer. I've never had a seam come out or any bleeding. I mark with crayola markers if I mark, and use Elmer's washable school glue. If I give a quilt to someone I know they will never give it any special care so I don't either just to see what will happen. Many years and quilts later, nothing bad has ever happened. Maybe one day and I will be sorry, but so far so good. The only thing that has never come out of a quilt is some kind of chalk I used to mark my hand quilted queen sized. And I washed that in the washer and put it in the dryer. All good.

That's what I use too, every time I wash a quilt. Bought mine at farm & fleet......

I usually don't use detergent when washing a finished quilt unless it's a little dirty. Then I just use Gain. I have some Synthrapol for washing fabrics that might bleed. Also, I have heard quilters recommend Norvus.

Me too and I have a front loading washer. No problems. If it is bigger than a twin, I may soak in Synthaphol in the bathtub with color catchers first.

If I am gifting a quilt that will be used, I wash and dry it exactly as I would any other bedding. I cannot expect the recipient to follow special instructions every time, I can assume they will throw it in the washer and throw it in the dryer with their regular detergent. IF there is any special concerns (one red & white quilt given to an adult) I include a box of Color Catchers, but I do not expect this will be washed as often as a child's.

I ALWAYS prewash all of my fabric with warm water and dry as I do all of our clothes. I don't like how dry my hands get when handling the fabric if I don't prewash.
IF I SUSPECT A FABRIC WILL BLEED (9 yards of gorgeous green batik), I now use Retayne with that fabric when I prewash. After 6 washings and 7 color catchers (first 6 turned green), I learned to love RETAYNE. It holds the color in the fabric and doesn't allow it to bleed. When this quilt is completed, I will wash with Syntrapol (this does not allow any dyes that are floating in the wash water to adhere onto the quilt).

When quilt is finished, I throw it in my HE front loader with Tide sensitive detergent (my usual detergent), wash on cold and then line dry outside on the clothesline. Others will not be as careful with the quilt as you are because YOU are the one who put all of the work into that quilt.

I agree with this. Fortunately, I only make baby quilts & find most young parents wash everything on cold (except cloth diapers) with Tide ColdWater or a similar detergent formulated for washing in cold water. It's too much work to be sorting all the clothes when you have a little one vying for your attention every minute of the day!

Those of us born in the 70's or earlier are used to sorting out clothes & were taught that clothes get cleaner with warm/hot water. I admit even I struggle to remember that I can now wash in cold if I buy the right detergent. The only struggle I have is low vs. medium heat in the dryer because I know people prefer to dry clothes faster than what's actually good for quilter's cotton, but I've seen what mid-high heat does to quilts & just can't bring myself to do that if there's any hope of winning someone over. Usually you can't fit much else in with quilts anyways so I try to explain why Low heat is ideal & hope for the best.

I'm with you! I wash everything too as you never know which color is going to bleed. I have had reds not bleed but blue or green and even pink and lavender sometimes bleed.

I have always been of a mind that if it is not dirty I feel no need to wash it. Lately I've heard people say you should get the chemicals out of it. I just put the same detergent that I use for my clothes.

I have a top load, large capacity washer--use a full tub, cold water, and my regular liquid detergent--plus 3-4 color catchers. I lay the quilt out on a sheet covered piece of plastic in the basement to dry usually, but sometimes I will put it in the dryer on perma prest setting. My DIL (with 10 month, 22 month and 7yr boys)told me she was so glad that all the quilts I've made them are wash and dry so they can actually use them. Me too!

Cool water wash gentle cycle then either line dry or low heat gentle dryer cycle. There is no need to pre-wash new quilting fabric generally as it will wash out some of the crisp look of a new quilt. However if you want that bumpy full look on stippled or meander stitched quilt a gentle wash makes it fluff up.

I do machine wash my quilts, using EXTRA GENTLE cycle, and I dry my quilts on EXTRA GENTLE cycle, TOO! I have had too many back injuries to hand-wash quilts, even baby quilts! I care for the quilts I make, but I just cannot do the hand-washing for quilts, besides I'm 70 years old now. I do WASH GENTLY, using the EXTRA GENTLE CYCLE, and that's going to have to serve the purpose. I love and treasure any quilts, either that I make or that someone has made for me, but I have to be very careful of things I do. I'm sure there are thousands of you out there that face the same problem.

God Bless you all.

Jeanette

You could probably do a twin size quilt in a home washer and dryer, but it depends on the washers capacity. 100% agree that at least 3 color catchers should be used, cold water, gentle cycle.