A friend of mine was visiting last summer and bought a beautiful antique quilt at a garage sale. We took it right to the dry cleaners and picked it up a few days later. They did a great job.

I wouldn't take it to the dry cleaners, the chemicals they use are very hard and over time cause more damage.

When you get it Lucille, see just how "dirty" it is. If it's not too dirty, I'd hang it out on the clothes line (or some how) and air it out. If you're worried about sun damage, put the decorated side down.

ALTHOUGH-- I have been successful in washing old (repaired) quilts in my
washer on the GENTLE cycle. And I use Woollite or a very gentle
unscented soap. I've even put them in the dryer. BUT you will have to
make that assessment for yourself.

I just now read the link that Ali posted--- LOL same advice.

Please share photos! I LOVE quilts --- if only I could sew.....

Lucille how old is old? Cotton?

Make all repairs before cleaning. If it was me if it couldn't get a proper bath I don't want it. Can you post close ups of the damage? You can bet if this is old it went thru aggressive laundering such as lots of sodium carbonate and hot water. Still it is old and hand made. I'm sure you will assess the strength of the quilt against the soil levels and make a good choice on how to clean it.

If however it reeks of body oils or came from a smokers home or coal burning home its going to require tragic laundering practices. Lucille I know you know wha t your doing.

You can always ask at the cleaners what they use. They wouldn't have to use chemicals. Also, a quilt shop could give good information on the best way to wash it. ( not Joann fabric)

You might also post on the quilting forum.

I read in several places not to dry clean. The only choice is between washer and tub.

Lucille I know you know wha t your doing.

That's sweet but really I don't have a clue.

Pudgeder, I really do want to machine wash but you are right I'll have to assess it first.

Lucille do you have a gentle, or hanwash or wool cycle on your washer?? Wool cycle would be the most gentle as there's very little movement. You haven't any worry about the spin as its not twisting or wringing but more extraction thru compression.

What washer do you have??

My apt washer is a Whirlpool.

Top load? Front load? Wool cycle or gentle cycle?

Lucille if you have a wool cycle or gentle use that. If you wash in a tub your going to have to extract the water somehow either by wringing and twisting or draping over something to drip. The spin cycle won't be hard on the quilt as its just compression. Trying to wash, rinse and extract in a tub will be a big job considering its a quilt.

Use a gentle detergent like liquid Purex.

It is a top load and looks like it has a 'delicates low agitation' cycle that is 6 minutes.

Use that cycle...do a cool prewash first than do a warm...on the warm wash are you able to shut the machine off for a soak? If you can than after agitation starts and detergent and water is mixed shut it off for about half an hour for soak time. I have a feeling its a newer washer and you can't do this in which case you'll have to forego the soak.

'cool prewash'

I don't see anything like that.

Lucille, does the washer have an agitater?

yes

An agitater can be extremely harsh on a vintage quilt....and....yours already has frayed areas. Personally, I wouldn't risk machine washing such an article. I would, however use the washer to hand wash the quilt and use the spin on gentle to remove the water.

I have several really old quilts handmade by my great grandmother, and maybe 1-2 pieces by my grandmother. They aren’t anything special as far as artistic works, except one that is a really cute Dutch doll and some really pretty patchwork. All have the old cotton batting. Many babies spent time on them. I know they have been well used over the years, and I use some of them now. And I know my mother and grandmother washed them in machines that are far less gentle than the ones we have now.

When I got them, they smelled old from storage. I aired them in the sun several times on each side, then washed them several times in gentle scent-free detergent.

I vote for the bathtub treatment. Labor intensive, for sure, but less damaging to the old fabric, thread and batting. Spread it on the grass to dry. Cover with a sheet if fading will be a concern.

Lucille I went to bed last night thinking about your quilt. LOL. I still say wash it on the delicate cycle. Wash it first in cool water than do a second in warm water. Try not to use an aggressive detergent. Most of the cheap detergents will be more gentle. I like the Purex, as long as its not the Purex that says with Bleach or with oxi..but the big jugs of cheap Purex would be good and since they have no enzymes you can use it on wool and down filled. The spin speed will not be as fast on delicate cycle. BUT BUT no matter what your washing choice will be do all repairs before washing. Old quilts even hand made were made to last.

Hope you post pictures when you get it. I love quilts but only have a few.

Ps did you read my post in the laundry room about pure Sodium Percarbonate??

There are websites that can guide you in the best way to wash a vintage quilt and what soap to use. I would follow their guidelines. I do know I would not agitate it in a washer with a center agitator. I’d wash in the bathtub on top of a sheet so I could lift it out by the sheet without putting any pressure on the quilt.

I have not yet seen my poor quilt. It got lost by the USPS and I was so upset, because vintage hand made quilts are like works of art, you can't just pop over to Amazon and buy another identical one.

This morning tracking resumed after having stopped for four days, and it looks like it might be delivered after all. I'm trying not to get too excited, because one never knows what the post office is going to do, but I sure hope I get it.

Oh I hope it gets there soon!

Please share a photo if you can. I love old quilts and the stories they hold.

"Works of art" I think that is even more reason to wash it in the gentlest manner possible. Have you asked at the laundry forum?

Or quilt forum might be good too.

Ava, Mamap has weighed in on this thread. She has experience with vintage linens and I trust her judgment on the subject, and I was also offered info by a number of other people here with quilt experience. I think before any decision is made I need to get the quilt delivered to me, and then see what shape it is in.

Lucille, I hope it arrives soon! So sad that this happened.

A dear friend’s sister had 2 quilts made after their mother died. She used old nightgowns and robes their mother had worn. Very special and irreplaceable. My friend was living temporarily in an apartment prior to her marriage. Apparently porch pirates stole the package after it was delivered and it was never found.

Oh no, that is so sad and upsetting.

I have spent hours on trying to rescue my quilt from the jaws of USPS. I waited an hour on their phone line, and was given a phone number to call by the USPS employee who spoke with me. I thanked her and told her how grateful I was. I then called the number she had given me, and it was a non working number.

I filled out a number of requests and am hoping that they helped, but I just don't know.

Lucille Thank You for the vote of confidence.

Yes best to assess the condition first which I knew you would do. Shame you don't have it yet. Last summer I was waiting for antibotic infusions to be delivered. Was supposed to arrive on a Tuesday morning...didn't arrive. I called Fedex they said they don't have it so they can't deliver. This antibotic is on ice with a 4 hour window to be put in frig. I found it the next day when it still didn't arrive on tbe neighbors porch covered up with the large floor mat. The neighbors wernt home and this sat for more than 24 hours in the summer heat. Fedex had specific orders do not deliver if no ones home. I'm sure Fedex's insurance ate the loss but IMO the delivery person should have paid.

Lucille, is this the site you are using to track? I guess I have been lucky, mine has shown up when they said it would. They only thing that takes an extra day is when the company I ordered from ships UPS first for transfer to the post office. There are two numbers then for tracking. One is is for UPS and then one for the post office.

https://www.usps.com/welcome.htm?from=global&page=0001home2

The last tracking update was actually sent to me by USPS, as one can request updates on a specific package. Further attempts at tracking has shown no new movement.

Yeah, I knew that. I guess I'm just more hands on. I like to put the number in and track it myself each day.