I even wash competition quilts. Mostly to block them so they hang nice and square but this can be accomplished by not washing and just saturating them with a spray bottle. I find it easier to just toss it in the washer on a gentle cycle. I have 4 cats and 2 big hairy dogs, none are allowed in either my sewing room or my longarm room but I hand sew my bindings and that is always done downstairs while watching TV with DH and all my critters are present. So I wash to remove all pet hair and any allergens. If I hand quilt the quilt, well that has been handled so much it needs a good washing by the time it is done. I wash for all the reasons cited above, to ensure there are no unpleasant surprises like a popped seam or a bleeder (even though I prewash my fabrics first as well), I wash to remove starch or glue if I used it and to remove any dirt that may have gotten on the quilt. Finally I wash to make sure none of my quilting has come out. Even though I make every effort to secure seams well.

To make sure everything is OK.... It is very stressful for a recipient to be the first one to wash their quilt and have something happen, a loose seam, are bleeding color, distortion, any number of things. I want to find and fix anything that may need it before letting a quilt out my door. I never want to cause someone that kind of distress

I wash to get any dirt etc. off the quilt. Also I have a cat. I wash all fabric before I start a quilt so no surprises with bleeding. If I enter in the fair I will not wash first. I gift most of my quilts and as said before want the crinkle to happen before the recipient gets it.

I wash mine to make sure my giftee does! You'd be surprised how many times giftees have told me they've never washed their quilts because they were afraid of ruining it. I had one friend who hadn't washed hers in almost 5 years! Now I wash them before I give them, and tell them "It's already been washed once. The more you wash it, the softer it will get" so they're not afraid to wash it. That, along with making sure my colors don't run, lol.

Same reasons everyone else has mentioned. Additionally, I am a hand quilter so usually mark my quilting lines in some fashion. I want to wash out the marking lines as well as all the dog hair; oils from my hands (although this time of year I don't think THAT seems to be an issue!) and just plain old dust from being worked on for the length of time it generally takes me to quilt.

I suppose if you are not planning to use or gift a quilt right after finishing it there is no real urgency to wash it. However I do use spray adhesive to sandwich and spray starch on the fabric, so I think the sooner you get those items off the quilt the less chance there would be for discoloration or staining from them. And all the previous reasons are good one too!

I wash mine as the batting is a natural one(on holiday and can't remember the make, but it suggests washing to remove any natural oils in the batting.

I wash to make certain, the quilt doesn't have problems. One time, I made one and it wrinkled bad. I have no idea if it was the thread, fabric or batting. Guess what, the recipient loved it. She got to choose one of my quilts and that's the one she liked the best. But I know if I had given that quilt to someone with a different eye, they would have thought that they ruined it.

I compiled all these reasons into one list for quick reference.

To remove:
glue stick
starch
spray adhesive
fabric sizing and chemicals
Pet hair/allergens
dirt from hands
dust from moving quilt around while quilting
marking lines

To check for:
bleeding fabrics
seams that may have come undone

And:
to get that crinkly look
to make sure my giftee knows it can be done!:)

Jan in VA

I can't wait to throw a quilt I just finished into the wash - comes out all soft and crinkly - then it's finished!