Thoughts on: washing quilts

What are your practices and findings? fancy quilt store soaps? soak? don't wash, just lay it out in the sun to "air out" ?

What about quilts with photo transfers? signatures? embroidery? rust stains? yellow marks? (Nightmist, let us know what you find out about that plant!) musty smells? antiques differently than new? hand dyes?

do you send instructions with quilts you give/sell?

inquiring minds and all...

Reply to
Kellie J Berger
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I wash the quilts I make the same way I wash clothing. In the machine, cold water, regular detergent and such. Dry in the dryer. I use Pine Sol, or an equivalent in all my laundry for odor control. (No, the finished laundry does *not* smell piny.) For stains I am going to try OxyClean, since Biz seems to be difficult to find here in Phx. sigh. Antique and vintage quilts are a different story. I have a few that need some sort of cleaning. One of the local quilt appraisers suggests using the fluff cycle on the dryer, when there is a layer of lint in the trap, to remove dust and loose dirt from antique quilts. I have also had recommendations for the new "Soak" brand stuff that is out. (You don't have to rinse it out, a friend used it on some old quilts and said it really worked well.) The suggested way to clean these precious older quilts is to lay a sheet in the tub, across the bottom and up the sides. Run water into the tub,(add cleaning agent such as Biz or ??? and make sure it is thoroughly dissolved/dispersed), gently place the quilt in on top of the sheet. Gently push the quilt into the water, or use the sheet to help roll it some. Let sit. Drain tub, press down on the quilt to remove excess water. Rinse or repeat in same manner. When rinse water is clear, drain and let the quilt drain for a bit. then use the sheet to lift it out of the tub and spread it out to dry. If drying outside, cover with another sheet to protect the quilt.

There are many ways to do things, this is just one.

Pati, in Phx

Kellie J Berger wrote:

Reply to
Pati C.

Any quilt I make goes right into the washing machine -- mild soap, cold water, permanent press/knit cycle -- and then the dryer for an hour on low. It takes out any quilting lines (yes, I'm a heretic and use ordinary No. 2 pencil), and "proofs" the quilt to be sure it won't fall apart or has any weak spots. When I give a quilt as a gift I include a card telling how to wash and dry it, assuring the recipient that the quilt has already been washed and dried. I do the same, but using the "gentle" cycle, for the quilts I own that are about 50 years old and in very good condition. I'm not sure how I would handle true antiques and fragile quilts.

Reply to
Mary

I have an extra gentle cycle on our washer and I use that to wash quilts. They come out really well.

Depending on the quilt, I dry some in the dryer. Others, I drape across a couple of clothes racks to dry. Some, I semi-dry in the dryer and then drape across the racks to finish drying.

A lot depends on the time of the year too. If it is in winter, like now, I'm unlikely to use the racks since they are in the unheated garage. It got really cold last night--I have a horror of a quilt freezing and breaking! I don't even want to see if this is possible.

Happy quilting,

Lenore

Reply to
Lenore L

I just stick them in the machine with the rest of the laundry. Most of the quilts I have made so far are for using, not for "pretty" and are mostly baby quilts which are going to get all manner of things on them!!

When I give a quilt to a friend, especially a baby quilt, I tell them it's to be used and can be washed at 40C in the machine, no disasters yet.

I think if the quilt was a paricularly "special" one with lots of antique fabrics, delicate fabrics or hand painting I would take it to be dry cleaned.

Morag

Reply to
Morag in Scotland

I took an old wool quilt to the cleaners once and they didn't want to do it -- they said the dry cleaning fluid is heavier than water and it would be harder on the quilt than washing it. It wasn't anything particularly valuable, so I took it home, washed it on the gentle blanket cycle in cold water in the washer, and dried it flat. In that house, I had made a sweater drying rack with a wood frame and fiberglas screening, similar to a good sized window screen. I put it on pulleys so I could hang it from the ceiling in the laundry room. It dried well there.

Julia in MN

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Morag > I just stick them in the machine with the rest of the laundry. Most of

Reply to
Julia in MN

Maybe not, Morag, Of course I have no ideas about dry cleaning where you are but we are told that dry cleaning a quilt here is about as scary as dry cleaning a QI. I think it was our Kate T who can tell you some good reasons to find another way. Polly

"Morag in Scotland" I just stick them in the machine with the rest of the laundry. Most of the

Reply to
Polly Esther

DON'T DRY CLEAN!!!!! How do I know? I made my very first quilt way back in the dark ages when I was a teenager. It was for my dorm room at university and was very simple - just a bunch of plain squares - from fabric scraps of clothes that I had made or from friends, etc etc - so lots of sentimental value. Anyway, at one point my mom thought she would do me a favour and have it dry cleaned. The colour was completely bleached out of some of the fabrics, others disintegrated. Rather a disaster. I still kept the quilt of course and it is still functional, but sure not as pretty as it could have been. Allison in Montreal

Polly Esther wrote:

Reply to
allisonh

Here's an answer you are gonna love! "It depends!" I have to preface this by saying I do launder quilts prior to giving them away.

If it is for 'hard use' by people who probably do not have either the time or the resources to 'pamper' the quilt, then I launder it first in very warm water, regular detergent, and normal heat tumble dry. We do this with the Quilts of Valor before we mail them to the troops. I do the same for baby or kiddy quilt, for hug quilts, and most sleeping quilts. BTW: in my house, regular detergent is of the clear, unscented, non allergenic variety, because that is what I prefer for my own wash. If I give a quilt to an adult I KNOW is a laundry fuss budget, I may use cooler water, and special soap, and will tumble dry until *nearly* dry. For table runner, or other 'decorative' items, I often pamper the quilt.

Like I said ... "It depends!" PAT in VA/USA

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

What about those blocks that you photo-print on? I'm thinking of making my labels that way, and I wonder if it's a good idea, considering the wash factor.

Karen, Queen of Squishies

Reply to
Karen, Queen of Squishies

Fling it into the washer by itself because it it too big to wash with other stuff.

Never done photo transfers.

Sigs get washed on gentle instead of regular, and considerably less often (that is the company quilt).

Embroidery always goes gentle, cool, and alone. Some floss is prone to run if you aren't careful.

Rust, how would rust get on a quilt? Perhaps I have been lucky with pins, or maybe it's just I don't pin until I am going to sew. I use mostly brass for pin basting and try to put the plated steel ones where the quilting will be done first. When I get yardage with pin rust at the thrift shop, I just rub the spots with a bit of almond or olive oil, and a bit of Fels Naptha (a rather harsh bar soap mostly sold for laundry) then wash it as I would for any yardage. If that doesn't work I just cut around the spots.

Yellowing, now there is a trauma. If it is on account of age, well what you do depends on the fabric. There really is no one true answer. Too many variables.

A quick soak and a wash with soda usually takes out any mustiness.

Antiques, well I have washed but few. Mostly handme down through the generations quilts for my in-laws. Some of those have been boiled in wood ash lye, been dried laid out on the lawn, and served generations of children as tents, picnic tablecloths, and countries during times of war with siblings and their teddy bear armies. Plus up until my husband's generation, all babies (defined as children under five) wore dresses with nothing underneath. So those quilts have seen some use and abuse. Getting them clean and mending them has been the primary focus. Almost always done as a group effort because they are _heavy_, many of them are made out of old woolen suiting weight fabrics. Though hard work, it is always a treat to go down and help with that task because you get to hear the elders go over them and remember where the bits came from, and sometimes how they came to be in a quilt. Just about every summer they get mended, washed, some get a hot rinse with Aunt June's special concoction of oils (to keep the wool strong), and line dried. Every year every last relative complains over the task because we have boughten blankets now you know. All the while petting the quilts and pointing out the fabric from Grandma MacGowan's Sunday dress, and explaining how she was so mad when Dad helped her down at the church house and the skirt had got caught on the brake and just tore all to ribbons so that the preacher saw her knees. Ok, I am rambleing. On to hand dyes.

I do my own, and wash them most viciously before useing them. So a quilt made of them gets no special treatment.

With any quilt made with new fabric I always throw dye catchers in the first couple of washes at least.

I have decided to plant some Saponaria Officinalis (soapwort, bouncing bet). We dry herbs around here all the time, and have a big old granite morter and pestle just for pounding up things like chopped dried roots. I'll let you all know how that comes out.

Absolutely.

Usually I will also include a dye catcher of some variety.

NightMist

Reply to
NightMist

Reply to
Taria

I am too. Does anybody really know?

Karen, Queen of Squishies

Reply to
Karen, Queen of Squishies

Wow... that was Thorough!!!! am saving this msg. and a few others for future reference.

BTW, I know not to go to the dry cleaners! I don't really even trust them with my clothes let alone my quilts lol

Thanks for all the replies! I knew a lot of this, but some things I haven't run into yet or just didn't know. (like sigs and photo transfers and ribbonwork and setting dyes) Was hoping this would be a good discussion for any newbies as well.

Guess if i actually kept some of the quilts I make I might have asked these ?s earlier on? lol Each of my kiddos has a quilt I made (DD1s still needs quilting) and I have some WUHs and table runners I made. All the others have gone to new homes. And most of mine are made for workhorse duty so I tumble and dry.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Kellie who uses dye free, scent free detergent and has a good supply of dye catchers on hand

Reply to
Kellie J Berger

Howdy!

BIZ

In my experience w/ older quilts/tops, much of the yellowing or brown stains is old starch, mixed w/ sweat, dust. A soak w/ BIZ removes several layers of grime, makes the older colors brighter, crisper, & the quilt smells fresh. I use it on the new/newer quilts, too. Cool water, gentle wash; pop in the dryer & let it get really dry, all the way thru'; otherwise some colors may migrate in the damp fabric.

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I prefer the powder.

And, of course, there's always a Dye Magnet (or similar product) in the washing machine.

Good luck!

R/Sandy

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

My Katrina Hug has some photo prints by our Pat on Her Hill. That quilt gets hugged and viewed a lot. It is laundered gently and shows no signs of fading or wear. Makes a heck of a racket with all those gators though. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

Reply to
Taria

Howdy!

Dunno'. Not a fan of photo quilts, so I'm not washing any. ;-) Wouldn't trust it on silk (thread) appliqué, tho'. But for regular wash & sturdy older quilts: magic!

R/Sandy

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

I live in Amish country in PA and see quilts and everything else hanging out on the lines every day, in the rain, snow, and wind.... it doesn't seem to hurt them. I just can't imagine how COLD the ladies' fingers must be when hanging the things out! Brrrrr!

Reply to
Alice

This reminds me of a heated discussion I had with my mother back in college. A guy from the school newspaper wanted to take a picture of frozen laundry one winter. Me holding a shirt or pants as stiff as a board. Mother told me to soak them a half hour or so before the fellow was to come and I was sure I should hang them out all day! She said they would "freeze dry" and I thought that was ridiculous! The water would turn to ice and stay that way! Wrong! It does evaporate and you have dry but cold laundry. We had to do an experiment just to prove it to me! She still likes to remind me of that

35 years later! Dumb college girl!
Reply to
KJ

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