I’ll admit I have a soft spot worn-out quilts, often passed over because of stains and wear, and no longer desirable to many. And that’s a shame. If you have a tiny bit of patience, these quilts can be given new life. The first thing I do when I bring home vintage quilts is to soak them in OxiClean (I promise this is not an advertisement). It takes out most old stains and and brightens the fabric too. I like to fill my big laundry room sink with burning hot water and then mix in several scoops of OxiClean, stirring with my hands to dissolve. (Rubber gloves work well to protect hands from the hot water). When I fill my sink, I usually add in 3-4 full scoops and after the OxiClean is dissolved, I submerge the quilts, 1-3 at a time, depending on the size of the quilts. The water usually becomes very filthy with the soaking. Eek!
Notice the stains on this quilt top before soaking:
And after:
Generally, I soak each batch for anywhere between 2 hours – overnight, depending on the severity of the stains. After soaking, I run them through the washer on warm, with a little laundry detergent and softener.
As for the wear, I like to restitch pieces that have become slightly detached, and to patch little holes when possible. Any repairs I do helps to strengthen the quilts and gives them a longer life span. To me, they’re worth saving.
Tips:
In my experience, OxiClean is best for a long soak stain removal rather than adding it into a load of laundry in the washing machine.
Transferring a heavy, soaking wet quiltt from the sink to the washer can be sort of a pain. If your sink isn’t near your washer, I recommend transferring the quilts in a big tub so they don’t leave a wet soapy trail from the sink to the washer.
I’ve never had issues with color transfer on old quilts when I soak them this way, but it is possible for colors to transfer, as all fabrics are not the same. If I had a quilt I was too worried about harming with a deep soak or washing machine, I’d take it to a professional cleaner I trust. It’s always possible that the colors in the fabric can bleed from soaking or washing so testing out a small section before doing a major clean or soak is another option as well.
I’ve found many of my quilts at The Farm Chicks Fair, which is held the first full weekend in June each year in Spokane, Washington. You can read all about the fair here.
Note:I was NOT paid to write about OxiClean, it just happens to be a favorite of mine.
IT'S ME, SERENA!
In 2002, I was dreaming of creating a fun and happy little event to sell my vintage and handmade goods. In 2002, I held my first event in my neighbor's barn along with a handful of friends. The sale became wildly popular and began attracting visitors from across the country and recognition in national magazines. Today The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair fills the Spokane County Fairgrounds and features hundreds of creatively and carefully curated spaces packed with vintage and handmade goods. Many describe it as a bucket list event, magical, inspirational, and the best event of its kind in the USA. I describe it as the best weekend of the year!
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How do you recommend drying them?
Hang drying is the safest choice.
I have a question for you, how do you get a spot of basting spray out of a new quilt?
Do you dry them in the dryer or hang them to dry. I have a quilt from the 1940’s. I do not want to ruin it.
I hang to dry.
I just bought a 1930’s quilt top in beautiful condition. It has three very small holes in one quilt block that I’m not worried about. The remainder of this quilt has several light to medium tea-colored age stains. Will those come out with oxyclean? I’ve soaked it in a tide wash cycle and rinsed it on the hand wash cycle. The colors look brighter but the tea colored stains still remain. Have you had luck oxyclean will work?
I have an old quilt top that someone asked me to fix , someone had previously washed it and has dried stains on several spots from fabric bleeding. What is the best way to remove that? I soaked it in the oxy solution twice, that helped but didn’t take out the color stains.
Serena, I washed a quilt top that was gifted to my by a cousin. An aunt of ours whom I never met quilted as did her Mother which was my Grandmother. I have never met either one of them as they had both passed away before I was born. I believe the quilt top that I washed two days ago is on its way to being 100 years old. It’s a Grandmother’s Flower Garden in oranges, greens and yellows. I followed you Oxi Clean instructions putting the top in a tote in the bathtub. I have VERY hot water in this house and filled it about half full and used 3 scoops of Oxi, mixing per the directions. I used a wooden spoon to move it around about every half hour. I had many stains on it. Talk about nervous! I left it in the water for about 2 1/2 hours and then dumped the water and pressed on it while rinsing it. I have a hand wash setting on my front loading washer and put it in there. Used a touch of laundry detergent and it went through the cycle. It has a very slow spin on the setting. I had an old quilt that I had put on the porch railing and removed it and arranged it on that to dry. I live in Wisconsin and it was about 40 degrees. It smells wonderful and I finished drying it in the house. I pressed it yesterday and it is absolutely beautiful. I have another one that is the Tumbling Block design that I will enjoy going through the process again without the stress of wondering if I was doing the right thing. Now I know I am. Thanks for the directions and directing me through this process. I am forever grateful.
This makes me very happy. I’m so glad you were able to bring new life to the quilts.
I have water rust stains on my mom’s hand made quilts . I cried when I took them out . I have to wash at laundry mat and they stink ! Any suggestions?
First, I suggest that anything you try, you do with a tiny little test patch first to see how the fabric will react. My choice would be oxiclean spray or an oxiclean soak. Good luck!
I just followed these instructions completely for my grandmothers red and white appliqué quilt (completed in the early 1970s) that has had horrible brown stains. It looks fabulous! I did a test patch first and then plunged the whole thing in the deep water sink and let it sit all day (carefully rotating it to ensure good coverage), and washed it as directed. I am so grateful to you and this post. It’s time for my other old quilts to experience the same treatment!
Do you happen to know of a person or group that would like to have a vintage quilt top (wedding ring) and some vintage quilt blocks from the 30’s?
Thank you!!! I have a quilt made by my great-grandmother (whom I never met) that was given to me by my step-great-grandmother (whom I adored) when I got married 31 years ago and I have stored it in trunk for fear of messing it up. I recently got re-married and decided to start using it on a guest bed. Your advice gave me the confidence to launder it safely. It is soaking as I type this!😍
do you repair before you soak? I have an very old (’30’s) quilt, and the red fabric in it is worn. it is also stained. I just am not sure about soaking it before repairs, in case it makes the worn spots worse.
I’ve been gifted several quilts from my husband’s grandma. They aren’t stained, but have that terrible musty smell. Does Oxiclean work on the smell? I’ve washed it with vinegar, and it’s helped a tad, but smell is still there. It is driving me away from using these beautiful quilts. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you for sharing this! This feels like the first real guidance that I’ve come across, that doesn’t feel overwhelming in process! I have a nearly 100 year old quilt top with water/rust stains from sitting so long. I am eager to bring this to life and finish the job of my great grandmother (or great aunt??) but I’ve been terrified to treat it! Given that this is not a finished quilt (just a top with exposed seams), would you still handle the same way in terms of the soaking? I would probably skip the washing machine because I’m too scared! But if I can get the stains out, I’d be thrilled.
Thank you so much for sharing!! xo
Can a top load machine be used on the delicate cycle? My quilt is soaking now but I know I can wrong it out with my hands.
Being a grandmother who loves quilts and beautiful fabrics of all kinds, I heartily agree with Serena’s advice. In addition, let me add that sometimes you may come across a quilt or a garment that you doubt can be saved, because it appears to have rust spots on it. No need to wonder or to despair! There are liquid rust removers on the market that make rust disappear before your very eyes, with as little as a single drop! This product is very gentle on fabric, no rubbing required! However, if you are concerned, you can always do a test on an inconspicuous area of the fabric. You will find these products available by shopping online. I use RustGo, among others. Happy cleaning!
Which form/style of Qxiclean do you recommend for use on a vintage quilt with stains? I see there are a few different ones to choose from. Thank you.
I have a few quilts. I wash them in the washing machine, using cold water on a hand wash cycle with OxiClean. On rinse cycle, I’d give them two rinses. Put quilt in dryer on air dry. Love the results. 😊