didi

Someone mentioned washing quilts if you have a septic tank.
I have noticed when I wash my quilts after sewing them, I get alot of thread in my washer. At least when I do the Rag Quilts. Does this hurt my septic tank???

leatheflea

Never thought of that, I just did a rag quilt and we have a septic, gonna watch the responses.

Connie in CO

Quilts are made of cotton,wouldn't that just go away with the the stuff you flush down once a month?Does that make since?

KathyAire

When I made a rag quilt, someone at one of the quilting classes told me 'if you have a septic system (as opposed to city waste system), wash your rag quilts at the laundromat'. That has always stuck with me and that is what I do. Don't know if it's true or not, but I do know there is not too many things worse than septic problems.

dkabasketlady

The once a month stuff is - Rid-X
We had to use it when we lived in IN. and had a septic system.
I've also been told to wash the rag quilts at a laundromat.

LindaR

I was told to take to laundromat too..never at home???

ConnieSue

I just recently washed a rag quilt for the first time. I knew it might clog my pipes so I cut the lower part of a sheer panty hose( about 10 inches) and attached it with a rubber band to the end of the hose that drains my washer. Whew!! Good thing I did cause it was almost full of threads by the time they cycle finished. This worked great for me

Terryl

I also take my rag quilts to the laundrymat for the first 2 washes especially if they're going to be gifted (I like the way they look after a couple of washes)

ghostrider

Smart cookie!! Do that when/if you felt wool sweaters, too!

Charlee

Rid-X is NOT necessary if you have a septic system. All it is is a form of yeast that naturally forms anyway. Experts will tell you that you really don't need it. What you want to avoid is bleach and other anti-bacterial products, which will kill the bacteria necessary for the breakdown of solids in the septic tank. Adding something like Rid-X after using bleach isn't going to help, because the bleach will kill the bacteria in Rid-X too.

Cotton is not going to hurt your septic, because it is biodegradable. It's going to rot away. The problem would be that until it does, if you do many rag quilts, you could at least temporarily clog your leach field and cause problems. I would think the problem would be if you're not using a 100% natural batting. Polyester fibers are not going to degrade, they WILL cause problems.

All in all, the laundromat is not a bad idea...