Originally Posted by
IAmCatOwned
I use 100% cotton UNLESS I am making a quilt for a child using some kind of licensed fabric. Then I am usually forced to get a blend.
My first 'blanket' was tied and made with a cotton/poly blend. I found that body oil stains were very difficult to remove without damage to the design on the fabric. Not a problem for children's blankets since they are washed often, but my blanket was only washed a couple of times a year and those oils seem to seep and stay permanently. On the plus side, this was a long blanket and only the end (where my arms and head are) had the staining. My bro secretly coveted my blanket, so when I decided to toss it, he asked for it. Since I had made it extra long, I cut off the end and rebound that edge. It is still in use as a summer blanket 7 or 8 years later.
The quilt on our bed is cream colored, and shows up as "dirty" at the top where we touch it more. When I wash it, first I take a one gallon ice cream pail (or any scrub bucket will do) and put the soap in it that I will use for that load of wash. Fill the bucket about half full of water. Then roll or fold the top of the quilt so that the top fits into the bucket. Let it set until the quilt has absorbed all the soap water. Then just put into the washing machine and wash. The power of the soap is concentrated on that area, and it gets much cleaner.