Wash quilt
07-20-2014, 11:07 AM
#32
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
Prism, you have said it so well and completely.
If your quilt is well constructed, washing it will not hurt, and it is much better than letting it stay dirty. Just treat it carefully. I wash every new quilt as soon as it is finished, partly to get rid of the starch that I used while making it.
If your quilt is well constructed, washing it will not hurt, and it is much better than letting it stay dirty. Just treat it carefully. I wash every new quilt as soon as it is finished, partly to get rid of the starch that I used while making it.
07-20-2014, 02:56 PM
#34
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
Posts: 16,105
What she said!!
Assuming your top-loader has a central agitator, the important thing is to never let the quilt agitate. Basically you fill the washer with soap and water, then turn it off and add the quilt. Push down with your hands to agitate. Advance the dial to spin and spin out the soapy water, fill the tub with rinse water, then stop the machine again. Hand agitate, then spin out the rinse water.
Other tips to preserve your quilt:
Never hang it on a clothesline. Water is heavy, and a wet quilt hung on a line will stress the quilting lines. The more water in the quilt, the heavier the quilt is, and the more stress the quilt encounters.
Do not allow it to be in direct sunlight. Any light will fade fabrics; direct sunlight will fade fabrics fast.
You can dry in a dryer as long as there is enough space in the dryer for the quilt to move freely. Take it to a laundromat dryer, if necessary. Or you can dry flat. If outside, lay it on top of a flat sheet ***in the shade***, cover with another flat sheet (to protect from bird droppings and indirect sunlight), and anchor the edges. Or dry inside on carpeting, again with a flat sheet between the carpet and the quilt.
A duvet cover will probably not help when washing and could interfere with the quilt actually getting clean and thoroughly rinsed. The important thing when using a washing machine is to not allow machine agitation from a central agitator, as those agitators tend to tug and twist the fabric. (Tumbling in a front-loader is fine. However, domestic front loaders often do not use enough water to ensure that dye bleeds are sufficiently diluted.)
Other tips to preserve your quilt:
Never hang it on a clothesline. Water is heavy, and a wet quilt hung on a line will stress the quilting lines. The more water in the quilt, the heavier the quilt is, and the more stress the quilt encounters.
Do not allow it to be in direct sunlight. Any light will fade fabrics; direct sunlight will fade fabrics fast.
You can dry in a dryer as long as there is enough space in the dryer for the quilt to move freely. Take it to a laundromat dryer, if necessary. Or you can dry flat. If outside, lay it on top of a flat sheet ***in the shade***, cover with another flat sheet (to protect from bird droppings and indirect sunlight), and anchor the edges. Or dry inside on carpeting, again with a flat sheet between the carpet and the quilt.
A duvet cover will probably not help when washing and could interfere with the quilt actually getting clean and thoroughly rinsed. The important thing when using a washing machine is to not allow machine agitation from a central agitator, as those agitators tend to tug and twist the fabric. (Tumbling in a front-loader is fine. However, domestic front loaders often do not use enough water to ensure that dye bleeds are sufficiently diluted.)
07-20-2014, 08:18 PM
#35
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
Did you prewash all of the fabrics? If not, do you have bits and pieces of the fabrics that you could test for bleeding? Your quilt is lovely! I did not address the possibility of bleeding in my advice about washing the quilt.
07-20-2014, 10:29 PM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
Beautiful quilt!
I pre-wash my fabrics & pre-soak my cotton batting. Once it's quilted, I soak it again to remove all the pen marks & then wash it and dry it. I have a "Hand Wash" cycle on my washing machine and can set it on "Tap Water Cold" or "Cold" for the water temperature, but I have family members that wash on the Delicate Cycle and it seems to do fine. My big thing is with the detergent. I only wash quilts in a dye-free detergent and use dye-free liquid fabric softener (just a bit). I never use any kind of bleach. Other than some quilted home goods, none of my quilts are in dark or very bright colors, but I know quilters that use those and they will throw in a couple of the Shout Color Catchers to help keep their white parts white.
I throw it in the dryer on low heat, but setting it out on a drying rack or on a sheet on the ground outside also works. I watched a couple YouTube classes with Heather Thomas (National Quilter's Circle) that said if your quilting is no more than 2" apart, you can wash the quilt once a week and it will last approximately 20 years. If the quilting is 1/4" apart, you can wash it weekly and it will last approximately 100 years. So, no need to be afraid to get it wet.
In between washings, you can vacuum it. Just cover the hose with a nylon stocking & run it gently across the top of the quilt. I rarely ever do that, though. Only if my allergies are really acting up.
I pre-wash my fabrics & pre-soak my cotton batting. Once it's quilted, I soak it again to remove all the pen marks & then wash it and dry it. I have a "Hand Wash" cycle on my washing machine and can set it on "Tap Water Cold" or "Cold" for the water temperature, but I have family members that wash on the Delicate Cycle and it seems to do fine. My big thing is with the detergent. I only wash quilts in a dye-free detergent and use dye-free liquid fabric softener (just a bit). I never use any kind of bleach. Other than some quilted home goods, none of my quilts are in dark or very bright colors, but I know quilters that use those and they will throw in a couple of the Shout Color Catchers to help keep their white parts white.
I throw it in the dryer on low heat, but setting it out on a drying rack or on a sheet on the ground outside also works. I watched a couple YouTube classes with Heather Thomas (National Quilter's Circle) that said if your quilting is no more than 2" apart, you can wash the quilt once a week and it will last approximately 20 years. If the quilting is 1/4" apart, you can wash it weekly and it will last approximately 100 years. So, no need to be afraid to get it wet.
In between washings, you can vacuum it. Just cover the hose with a nylon stocking & run it gently across the top of the quilt. I rarely ever do that, though. Only if my allergies are really acting up.
07-21-2014, 02:31 AM
#38
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 936
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07-21-2014, 02:35 AM
#39
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 936
Thanks for pointing out the possibility of bleeding! However, I did prewash all of the fabrics I used, so there should not be any danger (in fact, I have meanwhile washed the quilt and it didn't bleed the least).
07-21-2014, 02:42 AM
#40
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 936
That's good to hear! I'd really like to use the quilt and not just have it as decoration. In winter I don't think I need to wash it very often as I'm planning to just have it on top of the comforter. However, it would be a nice, light blanket to just directly sleep under on hot summer nights. But that would definitely require washing!
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