Sew Happy Hearts

 Antique quilts should not be subjected to anything which may cause stress to their fibers. For antique quilts, letting the quilt air outside on a nice summer day may be the best method for removing odors and dust. The quilt should be laid out flat on a clean sheet with another sheet spread out over it.

Sometimes a simple "dusting"  is all that is  necessary . This can be done by laying the quilt out on a clean sheet then gently vacuuming the quilt by using the  brush  attachment covered by a nylon stocking.

It is not a good idea to dry-clean  any quilt.

Quilts with fabric damage should always be repaired before any attempts  to clean them.

Cleaning or washing of a quilt should always  be kept to a minimum and only done on quilts  that the fabric appears to be in good condition.  Washing anything but a new quilt is always risky.

Fabrics should be tested for colorfastness  before any means of wet cleaning is done. This is done by testing  a small sample of each fabric used by dabbing  gently with a damp white cloth over the fabrics. Many of the fabrics in antique quilts were made with unstable dyes and will run when they become wet. Even some new fabrics have dyes that may run.

Storage:

The best way to store your quilts is simply layering them on a spare bed. This way they are not subject to damage caused by folding or hanging.  If this is not possible and must be folded for storage then  put  acid-free tissue paper into the folded areas.

Quilts stored in a wooden chest should also be  covered with muslin or a clean sheet to prevent from coming into contact with the wood.

For more information on the care of your new and antique quilts got to:

http://museum.msu.edu/glqc/quiltcare.html

 http://www.quilt.com/DebbieRoberts/QuiltCare.htm

http://www.quiltstudy.org/about_us/questions_answers/care.html