After the quilt is finished, and it ready to be washed, do you wash yours in the washing machine? Do you use any kind of special laundry soap, or just use water (warm or cold)? Do you put it in the dryer or lay out flat somewhere? Then after all this is done, do you iron or press it? All your ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I wash mine in cold water in the washing machine with regular laundry soap. Then I just throw it in the dryer, I do prewash all of my fabric. I take it out when its still warm...so its perfect..no ironing needed.

I prewash all the fabrics before I make the quilt. Then when it is finished, it gets thrown in the washing machine and done on a regular wash, then it's dried on the line in fresh air and never sees an iron again.

I do not prewash my fabric. I wash my quilts in the washer in cold water with a color catcher and my regular laundry soap. I do not dry in the dryer, I feel that the heat is to hard on the fabric and thread. I then lay them out flat to dry, turning as needed. This is the way my Mother taught me to do this, and my grandmother also.

Pretty much what I do - but I make "quilts to use" - and they are couch size - not art quilts or great big ones.

I wash in warm water with color catchers. Even on a quilt I made with prewashed fabric, the color catcher picked up color from the red fabrics. I throw them in the dryer on the high setting.

I prewash all my fabric (unless they are small pieces). When complete, the quilt goes in the washer on a regular cycle, with normal laundry soap, usually Downey, and then in the dryer. I do not iron. I make bed sized quilts to be used so there's no way I'm ironing them. Plus I like the crinkled look so I don't prewash my batting. I would only use a color catcher if I had a questionable red. Although I had a green once that I prewashed and it ran forever. I gave the quilt to it's recipient along with a box of color catchers and told them never to wash the quilt without them.

I forgot to "quote reply" - no prewash, color catcher, no dryer, mostly.


I do it this way too - except- sometimes I might put one in the dryer for a little bit. I can't even say why I do this, but, so far no problems. And so far with no prewashing haven't had any running or shrinking. I am guessing maybe one day I will be surprised!! Hope not.

I was mine with regular detergent cold water and dry on our regular setting. I do not prewash my fabric because I like that crinkle effect from shrinking.

I wash in cold with hypoallergenic detergent, tumble dry on low without a dryer sheet. I do not iron it when it's done. I do not pre-wash my fabric usually.

I wash in the washer, regular soap and put it in the dryer as well. If I can put it out on the line in the nicer weather, I do that as well.

I wrap it around me, jump into the river and beat myself up against the rocks. Oh, sorry that was a line from Rosanne last night. 8-)

I just wash it and put it through the dryer. No special soap, or care given unless there are fabrics that require it. That would be highly unlikely in my case since I usually use cotton, and they have all been pre-washed before they hit the stash.

I also pre-wash my fabric. I wash my quilts on a gentle cycle in my top-loader with cold water and eco-friendly liquid washing mix. Dry flat over my parallel lines outside. We don't use dryers here unless it's winter.

I make quilts for people with busy lives. Therefore none of us have time to mess around washing a quilt by hand, taking it to the laundromat for a front load washer anything that takes more time than just throwing it in the washer and then into the dryer! Therefore I finish a quilt, throw it in my top load washer with regular every day laundry soap, then throw it into the dryer on high! for as long as it takes to dry. If it lasts in my washer/dryer I know it will last in anyone elses that I give the quilt to.

I use the washing machine, cold water, gentle cycle with Woolite (no
enzymes, phosphates, etc.). Dry on low and no ironing.
Even though I prewash all my fabrics I will use color catchers if there are
some problematic colors such as red.

I throw mine in sometimes with a color catcher and wash as normal warm/cold or warm/warm. Since the recipient will do the same I figure if it won't make it through the first wash then I don't want to give it to them.

I pre-wash fabric for bed/throw quilts, not for wall hanging. I gave washing instructiona's If itn't dirty-- don't wash it. I recommend front loader machine(agaitation (sp).is hard on thread and fabric) Dry on Medium heat until last 10 min--cool down. Prevents wrinkles. If only top loader is avaiable, I recommend,fill washer 3/4,with mild soap-mix place quilt in. Finish filling machine, agaitate 3-5min on normal cycle -- Let soak--agaitate 3-5mins. Rinse on gentle cycle, Try not to over soap. Left-in soap will attract dust and your quilt may not feel as soft. My definition of a DIRTY quilt is: Baby, cat, dog had accident on it!or muddy paws. Hubby plopped on it after a mud fight,or working in garden all day. If muddy paws is allowed to dry they may vaccum out. Little Dust---Vaccum, Put in dryer on air for 30mins. I would like some of my quilts to be around for my Great-Grand Chidren! Sorry, I'm so windy Tinker

for me it depends on the quilt- if it is a bed quilt i am giving away- i launder it just like i (think) the new owner will take care of it- if i believe no matter what i tell them they are going to toss it into a washer and a dryer- i do it first- to see how it will come out. if it is a quilt that needs a bit more care than that i put the care instructions on the label and care for it the way i have suggested it be cared for.
never hang a wet quilt- the weight can pull apart your piecing and create distortion.
it is best to either lay them flat to dry or dry in a dryer.

[quote=TonnieLoree] I wrap it around me, jump into the river and beat myself up against the rocks. Oh, sorry that was a line from Rosanne last night. 8-)

This was hilarious, thanks for the good chuckle!

And that's just the way I treat my quilts.

I take it to the Laundromat where the machines are larger, both washer and dryer, in warm water, use the color catcher. I put it in the commercial dryer, because the machines are larger (so they aren't so scrunched up) and dry it until it is almost dry and then I take it home, hang it up on the line and let the breezes do the rest. I do not iron at all - takes the puffiness out of it - and just fold nicely and either give it to someone or put it on our bed. I would rather spend the money at the laundromat for that first wash and dry. Edie

I have a Maytag front loading washer/dryer set so its super-gentle and large-capacity. I'd never ever put a quilt in a regular top-loader. I use Orvus soap and lukewarm water. I put it on super-gentle air-fluff in the dryer till the quilt is halfway dry, then lay it on a sheet and block it.
And I never iron a quilt.

If the quilt is a raggy, I ALWAYS take it to a laundromat ...and then I clean the mess out of their machines!

I do not prewash.

1. If you like the wrinkled up anique looking quilts as I do, don't prewash fabrics and use Warm and Natural batting.

2. Wash in hot water with dye catcher.

3. Dry in dryer on reg cycle.

This will shrink the fabric and give it that lovely old look that I particularly like.

So, it really depends on the look you want.

What is a color catcher?

I prewash all my fabric and when a quilt needs to be washed I use shampoo I red this in a quilting book.I do not let the machine agitate but let it soak for 15 min and then send it into the rinse again let it soak 5 min and spin out I then place it on my clothes line lining side out. None of this was my idea but it certainly has preserved my king sized quilts. I do think that the agitation is hard on the fabric and quilting.

I do not wash anything bigger than a lap quilt in a regular washing machine. Before I got a front loader, I went to the laundromat and used the large, commercial washer because the action of the agitator in a top loader is very stressful for the seams. I also prefer to dry them in a dryer because unless you have room to lay it flat, the weight of the quilt will cause distortion and stress the seams.
The color catcher is a laundry product that looks like a dryer sheet, but you put it in the washer to catch the dye that runs. They are sold by the laundry detergent at our local grocery store.

I don't pre-wash fabric, so will sometimes use a Color Catcher.
I take quilts to the local laundromat, wash in the largest machine they have, use whatever detergent I have with me, dry in their dryers on regular heat.
Never iron a quilt.

Thank you
Barb

I love the look of my quilts when they come from the wash and dryer. I keep a bottle of "baby laundry detergent" in my laundry area. I figure if it is gentle enough for a baby, it will be gentle enough for anyone. I have just washed two quilts for the second time in two days. Had a little bed wetter overnight. That's ok. He was worth the work!

Just did a heart breaking job. Had ordered six pieces of Bird Song GORGEOUS fabric. Our very sweet and helpful mail carrier had placed the shipping box FULL of fabric on a block near our garage, since it wouldn't fit my mail box. Had a huge storm, and didn't find it until the next morning. Every piece was totally soaked! I washed with color catchers, and just starched and ironed about 10/12 total yards of it. Two pieces still had running colors. So sad, but still can use most of it.

I pre-wash EVERYTHING-no exceptions. After a quilt is done, I wash it in my front load washer (very little water) on a "quick wash" in cold and put it in the dryer on regular heat by time - based on the size. This is for lap size and above. If you take it out right away, you shouldn't need to iron. Small wall hangings, same as above with a load of well-washed colors. Art quilts don't get washed.

I use my normal setting of warm, wash with a color catcher just in case and dry normally. I want my quilts to be useable - not just for show.

I prewash my fabrics in fabric fixataive detergent. I use Dharma Trading dye fixative for all my fabrics. After a quilt is finished, I don't need to wash it. Most of mine are wall hangings. If I do wash a quilt, I use "Quilt Soap" which is Sodium Laurel Sulfate only-no whiteners or brighteners. You can buy this product at a feed store. It's horse shampoo. Ortho makes a quilt soap. Same stuff, more expensive. Regular laundry detergent has whiteners and brighteners. They'll take the color out of your quilt fabrics.

Cynthia

I ussually prewash my fabrics and then wash the quilt in the waher on regular setting and put in a dryer. The quilts I make are meant to be used, so they need to be washabe in a normal way.

I use Woolite with cold water in the permanent press cycle. Give it an extra spin and toss it in the dryer. Now that is for MY own quilts.

Gifts - I usually toss in the dryer with a damp bath towel and a dryer sheet to get any threads and dust off and to freshen it up.

No pre-washing for me, throw a completed quilt in the wash with a color catcher and regular laundry detergent, run through one cold water wash cycle and a double rinse cycle. Toss in the dryer on medium heat until nice and dry. If there is any shrinkage it just adds to the crinkley old-fashioned look of the quilt, which is fine by me since I make all of my quilts to be used (the crinkley the better) Is crinkley a real word?? :-)

bummer. :( I always thought fabrics like Moda wouldn't run no matter what. apparently not. Maybe it was because they were so stuck together and sitting for so long. In a washer, they aren't mashed together and it's only in the water for a few minutes.

If crinkley isn't a real word, it is now. I knew what you meant. :thumbup:

I wash mine in warm water with regular laundry soap and color catcher. I also do not pre wash my fabric because I like the crinkly look.

i wash mine in the washer with warm water and just a bit of gain laundry soap , put in the dryer for a bit , and if it is nice outside i will lay it in the sun to finish drying otherwise dry ti all the way in the dryer, i also pre wash my fabric before using ti