Washing a quilt for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience. We spend a great deal of time and money making quilts, so trusting the washing process can feel risky. Today, we’ll discuss the proper settings, the miracle maker, a hidden disappointment, and why it's important to teach friends and family how to wash their quilts properly the first time.
The Settings
Washing success starts with the washing machine. Make sure to set your washing machine to a cold or cool temperature. Cold water is effective at lifting stains and preventing color bleeding. Use a gentle detergent. While there are detergents made especially for quilters, regular Woolite works just fine at a lower cost.
Before you toss your quilt in the dryer, check to ensure the colors haven’t bled and redeposited on other fabrics. If you notice this while the quilt is still wet, you might be able to fix it using the miracle maker below.
Drying on medium to low heat gives you the crinkly look many quilters love without causing too much shrinkage.
The Miracle Maker
Washing a quilt can be particularly stressful if you don’t prewash your fabric. Nothing feels more disappointing than pulling a quilt out of the washer only to see that your navy and red fabrics have bled into your lighter background fabric. The day I found out about Shout Color Catchers is one of my top five days as a quilter. Just toss one or two sheets into your washer, and they will absorb any dye that bleeds, protecting your other fabrics.
I think I put four color catchers in with my niece's graduation quilt. Maroon, yellow, and white made me very nervous!
The Hidden Disappointment
The type of paper you use for foundation paper piecing can also cause washing problems. Regular copy paper's pulp is often bleached to make it bright white. I once used copy paper for a small piecing project, and removing all the papers was almost impossible. When I washed the quilt, it ended up with bleach spots on it!
Since then, I have vowed to use only paper designated for foundation paper piecing or unbleached copy paper. I’m happy to say I haven’t experienced any paper bleaching issues since then.
How to Wash a Quilt (After the First Time)
If the anxiety of washing a quilt for the first time sits at an 8 or 9, knowing how to wash a quilt after that comes in at a 1 or 2. Here's my step-by-step process for every wash after the first.
- Check the quilt for any stains that need pre-treatment.
- Load the quilt into your washer on a normal or gentle cycle and add detergent. Cold water is still your friend here, but since my quilts get lots of loving, I go for the normal cycle and just use my regular laundry soap.
- Dry it on medium to low heat.
- Shake the quilt out once it's dry and hold it flat for a few seconds while it cools down. Yes, I'm going to fold it to put it away. No, I don't like dryer wrinkles in my quilts.
How often should you wash a quilt? If it's in daily rotation on a bed or couch, every month or two keeps it fresh. Quilts that mostly decorate can go much longer between washes. If you're loving your quilts, you're washing them pretty regularly — and these tips will leave you with a quilt that's cozy and lasts a lifetime.
The Giving
Giving quilts to loved ones can be one of the greatest joys of being a quilter. I highly recommend washing your quilt before giving it away.
If, for some reason, you can’t wash it first, do your recipient a favor and include the instructions above so they can succeed the first time they wash it. Also, remind them about the crinkliness they can expect after the initial wash. When I wasn’t washing quilts before giving them away, I always received panicked calls from people worried they had ruined their quilt. After a few calls like that, I learned to include that warning as well.
Do you have a horror story about washing a quilt? That’s what we’re discussing this week in the Team Thread community. It’s free to join, and we’d love to get to know you better. Talk to you over there!
