If you have a handmade quilt, you have some idea of how much work went into its construction. Many of us have quilts that hold special meanings. When it’s time to clean your quilts, you may be a bit nervous, and with good reason! Many quilts are made of delicate fabrics or with delicate threads. If your quilts are old, the fabrics and threads may have deteriorated over time, making them more delicate than they originally were. Taking special care when you clean your quilts will be worth the while. You don’t want to open the washer only to find the antique, handmade quilt that your great-grandmother made for your mother in pieces.
Check for bleeding fabrics. Wet the corner of a white pillowcase or t-shirt with cold water. Rub it over each different piece of fabric on the quilt to see if any of the colors are going to run. To be sure, you can cover the fabric with a damp, white cloth. Iron the cloth to see if it picks up any dye from the fabric. Be careful, check often, and don’t rub too hard. If you see that colors may run, you can take your quilt to a professional cleaner. Older quilts have usually been washed before and don’t run. Most quilters wash their fabrics before they use them for quilting to avoid different fabrics shrinking at different rates when washed, which could ruin the quilt.
Once you’ve determined that the colors are not going to run, you’re ready to wash. Most quilts are made of cotton and are safe to gently wash. If you have hard water, get plenty of distilled water ready to wash your quilt. Minerals can stain the fabric. Get your bathtub really clean and rinse away any residues of cleaners. Fill the tub about half-way with cold water and mix in a dye-free, perfume-free detergent. Just use as much as you would for a normal load of laundry. Gently place the quilt in the tub as flat as possible. Folding it in half or in thirds is generally sufficient. Avoid crumpling it up so that you can pay attention to how it’s doing in the water.
After soaking for 10-20 minutes, gently move the quilt up and down in the water. Be careful not to pull on the fabric. Drain the tub. Refill it with fresh cold water, move the quilt up and down again, then drain. Repeat this as many times as necessary until all of the detergent is rinsed out.
Don’t wring out your quilt. I use several towels and press down on the quilt into the bottom of the tub. If the quilt is sturdy enough, you might even walk around on the towels to remove excess moisture. To dry my quilts, I spread out a white sheet on the floor of my bedroom and carefully spread out the quilt. Air drying is much safer than putting it in the dryer! When quilts are all clean and dry, hang them on special quilt hangers for extra protection in storage. You can even use a garment bag to keep your quilts from getting dusty or chewed on by pests. With proper care, your quilts can last for many generations to come!
About the Author: Sam Morton is on the staff of USA Hanger, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers. They are known for the excellent quality and value of their hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.usahanger.com/.
Sources:
http://laundry.about.com/od/laundrybasics/a/carenewquilts.htm
