After reading the responses for washing or not washing quilts, what is the best way to wash a quilt.

I wash mine on delicate and usually throw in a couple of color catchers, just in case. I also dry on low. I have allergies, so the only soap used in my house is hypoallergenic.

I am very nervous and have rust spots in my washing machine (chipped enamel)so I usually do mine in the bathtub. But I did finally throw it in the machine last week and it came out much cleaner. I dry on the line. (no dryer).

Delicate cycle. Some say put sheet on grass the lie quilt to dry.

I put mine in the machine and lie flat to dry. Use color catchers too.

machine wash and dry, regular cycle, hypoallergenic detergent. Most all of my quilts are gifts and I want all the sizing chemicals gone before it is gifted. I also never know how the recipient will wash the quilt, so I put it thru it's paces before it ever leaves my house, so I know if it has issues that I need to fix first.

Maris, welcome to the board. We're practically next door neighbors!

I wash and dry normal color catchers in the wash just in case. Never had any problems

Ditto.

I wash on regular cycle with hypoallergenic soap (but I always use that),and oxyclean if they have light fabrics, and dry most of they way on regular cycle. I will remove them before they're fully dry and lay flat just to prevent wrinkles. I'm not making works of art and hope the people that receive them will use them everyday and wear them out!! I don't even care if they're referred to as blankets, as long as they're used ;)

I take my quilts to Carol Detloff in Grant Park for machine quilting--met Carol at a monthly gathering at former quilt store in Manteno.

Sometimes I think I have been sleeping for several decades--not familiar with some terms. What are "color catchers"?

I wash and dry normal like all my cloths. Works well. Want to make sure that it is clean and soft. Don't use fabric softener because it makes me itch from head to toe though. Wish I could use it to make extra soft.

I machine wash cold on the gentle cycle and any I will give as gifts will have washing instructions. But as we are trying to save propane in my house, wash only gets done on sunny/windy days unless it absolutely needs to be washed so they usually get hung outside on the line. Neighbors have commented on how pretty they look hanging out there so I try to put the quilt tops toward the road so they can see

Find Color Catchers in your Laundry/Detergent/Softener section.
Made by SC Johnson and used in your washing machine to prevent the colors from running. They work for me.

Thank you for all the help. Think I will wash some table runners first and see what happens.

Ditto here too.

me three!

I just throw mine in the washer and dyer. No issues...

when i am doing the last binding stitches i am thinking about who is getting this quilt-where it is going-
and i launder it exactly the way i believe it will be taken care of when its no longer with me-
if it is going to a young mother- who goes to the laundrymat with garbage bags full of laundry-well- that quilt is going into my washer-with detergent-a normal cycle- then into the dryer- if it can not take my abuse- it sure wont take hers-
if it is going to a charitable foundation (like linus quilts) i wash them in hot water-regular cycle- into the dryer=
hospital laundry's are pretty rough- it better stand up to it.
if it is a very special quilt- or one i believe needs special care- i tend to it as i think it should be-
and i ALWAYS include care instructions on the label-
if it should be vacuumed- and only spot cleaned- it will say so- if it needs cold water- it will say so...
but 99% of the quilts i make- regardless (yes even the silk and wool ones) i put in the washer- a regular cycle- and into the dryer...if it does not hold up it shouldn't go anywhere any way-and i need to be the one to find that out- not some recipient who will be crushed when it doesn't come out ok

I always add washing instructions to my labels as well as the fabric content.
I don't buy special detergents but use very little.
I likke to line dry.

I wash cold and dry for just a little while then air dry.

[quote=ptquilts]I am very nervous and have rust spots in my washing machine (chipped enamel)...


I watched a washer repair man, use bathtub 'chip cover' to repair a spot on a washer drum. I asked if it would hold up to washing. He said yes, it does, but you must sand away all the rust first so it will stick. Look for it in a hardware store. I hope this is helpful. -Kelly

I use cold water, gentle cycle, my Arm & Hammer laundry soap & my Downy ball, with downy in it, of course. My fabrics are all prewashed before I use them, so not worried about any fading. Then I toss it in the dryer on low & they come out great. I don't wash our bed quilt very often, only when my sensitive nose hubby says it's time too.....

YUP, I found a missed seam on a log cabin that way and was able to fix it before gifting. Made a believer out of me, also it helps to realign things if something stretched during construction. :-D

I wash mine in warm or cool water in reg. cycle. Most of my are also gifts so I wash as if my reciever would wash it.

What is the brand of hypo. you buy?

I always used White King water softener (powder) when washing cloth diapers so they would be soft and absorbent--if you can find some, try it, I bet you'll love the resulting softness of fabrics, and nothing left behind to make you itch.

My general instructions I sew into the quilt which I follow is machine wash sepreate in cold water. Machine dry on medium or line dry. I find however that after an hour even in a industrial dryer, I just finish with a line dry.

I just washed my DD's quilt that I made her 7 years ago. Washed on delicate with color catchers. Dried on a sheet outside in the shade. Came out beautiful!

at the laundry mat in the large front loader machine!

I take mine, (all queen size) to the Laundromat and use the large double load front loaders. I add about 5 color catchers the first time and then use one less after that till I am down to one or there is no more bleeding. I use cold water and Ivory soap. Then I bring it home and hang it "back side out" and put a sheet over it so the birds don't poop on it. Usually only takes a few hours to dry. No need to iron it, it always comes out perfect. Jan :thumbup:

As long as you remove it right away, it won't get rust spots. If it does, take Bar Keepers Friend and rub it in with a toothbrush. It will come right out. BKF can be found in the grocery store, right next to the Ajax.

I wash mine in hot water with little saop and then dry in hot dryer. If anything is going to go wrong I want to know first. BrendaK