Home made quilt - is it best to dry clean?

[Allshallbewell2021]

Thanks for any advice.

The quilt was made about 15 years ago of light coloured cotton fabric.

Quiltmaker here. I would wash it in the bath in tepid water with a mild detergent and lots of colour catchers. If there is a stain pre-treat that before washing. Dissolve the detergent first, put the quilt in so that it's submerged. Agitate gently but don't scrub. Pay attention to the stains by having one hand underneath and rubbing gently with the top hand. Drain the bath, squeeze gently to remove as much water as possible, then refill the bath with cold water to rinse. You might need to rinse twice if it's very soapy. If it's a small quilt (eg baby quilt) you might be able to wash it in the sink or a plastic tub.

Try to dry it supported rather than over a washing line, eg if you have an airer that opens up quite wide. If you need to dry it folded in half to ensure it's not trailing on the floor, that's fine, just refold in a different direction every few hours or so.

Check to see if you've popped any seams while washing. A tiny repair now will save a more complicated one in the future.

If it's never been washed before and the fabric wasn't prewashed when it was made then the quilt might shrink a bit. This is normal and that crinkly look is actually quite desirable for old-fashioned cuteness.

My DH accidentally washed a handmade quilt at 60 degrees, quilt survived but it is a bit crinkly now.

I told my MIL (we made it together for DD) and she told me to divorce him😆

It's been washed since and I just wash it on the delicate cycle in the washing machine and dry it on the airer. So far so good!

Thank you all so much for your kind advice, it is much appreciated!

I've never washed it. I actually have another one by the same maker which is made of felt (!) the late relative who made it said 'never again' as it was very hard fabric to quilt with.

Cuteorange 😆

I need a new ironing board. I think mine may be 40 years old 😵‍💫 and it sucks.

Is there one you'd recommend? I don't need it to last that long now....

I look at them online and can't choose for some unknown reason.

That was supposed to be a new thread 🤪.
But I think you classy 🧵 people will know!

Let's hope that you never need to wash the felt one, because that fills me with fear that it would all end up as a felted lump.

I agree! She said it nearly broke her 😅.
I could maybe dry clean that one 🤔

Maybe it's actually brushed cotton? But it feels felty, it's very thick.

I dry mine on the trampoline

No help on the ironing board, sorry, but I have a cotton handmade quilt and was told by the person who made it to take it to the laundrette (because their machines have big drums) to wash, on cool and then tumble dry it on cold there too.

I make quilts and would hate for anyone to feel they were so precious. Anything in my house goes in the washer and frequently. I cannot imagine something unwashed for years. I usually wash quilts at 30C but if I know they will stand it at 60C.
I prewash fabric for shrinkage though.

I would recommend that my quilt be machine washed on a gentle cycle too, but that's because I know they have been machine pieced and fairly heavily machine quilted so they will hold up well. For an unknown quilt or one that is too big for a machine the bath method is a safe option.

Put in a colour catcher with the quilt just to be on the safe side.
I wash my many quilts regularly as we all use them a lot ... sofa, bed, cats ! They get dirty and a cool wash with a gentle spin seems to be fine