Washing a quilt

[chrisquilter]

My customer has a front loader with a hand wash cycle. I told her to use color catchers and cold water. I don't know if the fabric was prewashed or treated with Retayne. Should she use Retayne also? I appreciate your input as I seldom wash newly finished quilts. How do you dry the quilts? The quilt is a Labyrinth Quilt Kit from Keepsake. All Batiks. Thanks for your expertise. 90 x 102

[Littleshoes]

I have started putting my quilt into the dryer first. Put on high for about 10 minutes to heat set the colors. Then I wash with color catchers. I then hang to dry. This has seemed to work for me with no running of colors.

Carol

[delld]

I would prefer to lay a quilt flat to dry. I would fear the weight of the wet quilt would possibly pull the stitching and break or change the shape of the quilt. Put a old sheet down and lay the quilt on top to dry. You also have the option to block the quilt to square by doing this too! Good luck!

[Oma]

I like Carol's idea of dryer first to set the colors then wash, but then I would then put back into the dryer to dry. Color catchers are a great idea. Better safe than sorry. My batik quilts have always washed and dried beautifully. If this is a "show" type quilt then I would probably do what Dell said...dry it flat.

[Quilting Heidi]

If she is at all worried about color transferring I would suggest she soak it in the tub with lots of water and synthrapol. She can use a damp cloth and rub it agaist the quilt to see if she pulls off any color. If she does she'll have to deal with loose dye. Drain the tub and let most of the water leave the quilt then run through the wasing machine with color catchers. I like to air dry or in the winter med heat until it is just damp and then lay out flat to complete the drying process.

[Corey]

I wash most of my show quilts with Orvus in front loading big capacity washer, put in the dryer to damp dry setting and I immediately spread the quilt, help it to go square and flat, turn the fan on to dry.

Last month, I took a class from Sue Rasmussen (who teaches @ Asilomar) & learned something of great value to me. Since she is also a Textile Expert, she shared the fact that color pigments in fabric rubs on each other while washing, thus explains why my Dotty for Dresden got red traces of color in several areas of the quilt. I was in shock, I know that none of the fabrics in the whole quilt would run because I individually wash and made sure they were all color fast.

So I calmed myself, found Grandmas Spot remover, oxiclean gel stain remover & work their magic onto the wet quilt. It was midnight also.

Then I pin basted 3 yards of white muslin backing onto the entire face of the quilt, (making sure no rubbing) loaded and washed the quilt again. Repeated the process, no red stains.

Corey

[sspingler]

I like to use Orvus although time consuming.

Orvus is a soap for horses. Put a capfull in the bathtub, fill halfway with water, swish it around with you hand, place the quilt in it and gently agitate by hand. Let sit for half an hour (in the meantime wash your car and place it in the shade). Remove all the water and rinse twice. Do not wring the water out. Place a garbage bag in a laundry basket, put your quilt in it. Take it out and drape it over your car to dry. Make sure your car stays in the shade.

I've been doing it this way for over 20 years and have never had a color run.