How to Wash a Quilt

Quilts are a beautiful way to dress a bed and a popular form of textile artistry, often displayed draped over furniture or hung on a wall. Regardless of how a quilt is used in the home, eventually, it will need to be cleaned.

Unlike bedding such as sheets and comforters, quilts should not be washed often to preserve bright colors and to avoid causing stress on seams and delicate hand sewn designs; washing a quilt two to four times a year is ideal. Ahead, you'll find instructions on how to test a quilt for colorfastness, and how and when to machine wash versus hand wash a quilt.

How to Test for Colorfastness

Before washing a quilt, it's important to test it for colorfastness to ensure loose dye doesn't run when exposed to water.

To perform a colorfastness test, dampen a white cloth and rub it along an inconspicuous section of the quilt. If any color transfers onto the white cloth, or if the colors visibly fade, the quilt is not colorfast, and the dye will run when washed. Quilts that are not colorfast should be professionally dry-cleaned.

Even after performing a colorfastness test, you might still opt to use a dye-catching sheet, such as a Shout Color Catcher or Carbona Color Grabber, when washing a quilt.

How to Wash a Quilt by Hand

Hand laundering is the ideal way to wash a quilt and is the best choice for smaller quilts and handmade quilts. Quilts larger than a full-size mattress can be washed by hand, but be aware that washing any sort of bulky item by hand can be tedious work.

What You Need

• Sewing kit (optional)
• Stain treatment product(s)
• Liquid laundry detergent or Engleside Quilt Wash
• Clean towels

Step 1: Make Repairs and Pre-Treat Stains

Before washing a quilt, check for any stains or damage. Pre-treat stains with an appropriate stain remover, mend any holes, rips, or tears, and trim away any loose threads.

Some stain treatment products, such as oxygen bleach, are not safe to use on silk or wool quilts. It is important to check usage instructions to ensure a stain treatment product will not damage the quilt.

Step 2: Identify a Place to Wash

Identify a place large enough to hold water, detergent, and the quilt, that leaves enough space for your hands to move through the water. Typically, a bathtub or a large utility sink is the best option.

Step 3: Fill Basin

Fill the basin about halfway with cool water, leaving enough room for the quilt and your hands to move. Add 1-2 Tbsp. liquid laundry detergent, depending on the size of the quilt. Resist the urge to use more detergent than necessary, which will require extensive rinsing to remove and can leave residue behind that will lend a dingy, dull appearance to the quilt.

If using Quilt Wash, mix two scoops per gallon of lukewarm water and stir until it is completely dissolved.

Step 4: Submerge and Soak the Quilt

Put the quilt in the water, using your hands to fully submerge it. Then, use your hands to gently agitate it to ensure the water and detergent penetrate its fibers, dislodging dirt and grime. Allow the quilt to soak in the detergent solution for at least 10 minutes, longer if badly stained or heavily soiled. 

Step 5: Rinse the Quilt

After soaking, lift the quilt out of the detergent solution and squeeze it gently. Drain the detergent solution and rinse the quilt well with clean water by refilling the tub, gently agitating the quilt to release suds, and draining the water. Repeat the process until the water runs clear.

Step 6: Dry the Quilt

After thoroughly rinsing the quilt, use your hands to press down on it while it's still in the basin to push excess water out. Do not wring the quilt, which will twist the fibers, causing tearing, fraying, or puckering. Then, lay the quilt flat on dry towels to air dry (lay plastic sheeting under the quilt to protect flooring, if necessary). Turn the quilt every three to five hours to promote even drying.

How to Wash a Quilt in a Washing Machine

Most commercially made quilts can be machine washed; consult the care tag for specific instructions on safely laundering the quilt in a washing machine. Handmade quilts may also be machine washed, provided they are sturdy enough and have been tested for colorfastness.  

What You Need

• Sewing kit (optional)
• Stain treatment product(s)
• Laundry detergent or Engleside Quilt Wash
• Dye-catching sheets (optional)
• Dryer balls
• Clean towels

Step 1: Make Repairs and Treat Stains

Before washing, check the quilt for any stains or damage. Pre-treat stains with an appropriate stain remover, mend any holes, rips, or tears, and trim away any loose threads. Some stain treatment products, such as oxygen bleach, are not safe to use on silk or wool quilts; check usage instructions to ensure a stain treatment product will not damage the quilt.

Step 2: Select Washer Settings

Quilts should be washed in cold water. Use the delicate cycle, which offers the slowest wash and spin cycle settings available on the machine, when washing a quilt. If using Quilt Wash, mix two scoops per gallon of lukewarm water and stir until it is completely dissolved. Add this solution to the washing machine as you would liquid laundry detergent. If using a dye-catching sheet, place it in the drum of the machine along with the quilt.

Step 3: Dry the Quilt

Quilts can be partially dried in the dryer on the lowest heat setting and removed while damp to finish drying without heat. Use dryer balls to increase airflow as the quilt moves about the drum, which will help to speed up drying time. However, using a dryer can cause some quilts to shrink or pucker.

Ideally, a quilt should be air-dried flat to preserve its color. Never hang-dry a quilt, because its weight can cause stress to the seams, leading them to rip, and the batting can become bunched and lumpy. Instead, dry a quilt flat on top of clean towels (lay plastic sheeting under the quilt to protect flooring, if necessary). Turn the quilt every three to five hours to promote even drying.