Some quilts require special care. If your quilt needs a touch of TLC, consider hand washing.
Stooping over bathtubs has given hand washing a bad rap. Suffer no more!
Try this stoop-free method for hand washing your beloved treasure.
Before you start, consider these things:
- Are the fabrics colorfast?
- What type of materials are used in the quilt? Batting, fabrics, adhesives (if any)
- What construction and embellishment methods were used in the quilt? Applique, painting, embroidery
- Is the washing machine clean and residue free?
Step One: Prep
- Fill the washing machine with cold or tepid water.
- Add soap to the water.
- Turn the machine on briefly to dissolve and mix the soap.
About soap: Use pH neutral soaps, no bleach, brighteners, fragrances, or softeners.
- Turn the machine off.
Step Two: Add Quilt
- Place the quilt in the washing machine.
- Distribute the quilt evenly in the machine.
- Let the quilt soak for 15 minutes so it is saturated.
Step Three: Washing
- Reach in and stir the quilt in the water by hand, gently agitating. The goal is for each part of the quilt to move around in the water.
- If you prefer, allow the machine to agitate on the gentle cycle while you are watching. Be sure the quilt is not stressed or pulled by the agitator.
- Let the quilt soak for 5 minutes.
- Repeat the hand or machine agitation.
- Let the quilt soak for 5 minutes.
Step Four: Rinsing
- Set the washing machine to the spin cycle to remove the soapy water.
- Fill the washing machine with cold water.
- Hand or machine agitate the quilt to remove the soap.
- Let the quilt soak for 5 minutes.
- Repeat this process twice or until all the soap is removed.
Step Five: Drying
- Cover a protected flat surface with towels.
- Lay the quilt on the towels to dry.
- Flip the quilt every hour to two hours until dry.
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