Quilt Washers
We’ve once again come to the time of year when I wash quilts. It’s not a job I like but it’s necessary for those quilts we use daily on our beds.
I choose to never wash quilts in the washer as the agitator rubs the fabric and weakens it (not to mention what a heavy quilt does to the washer!). I guess a front loading machine wouldn’t have this issue but I don’t own one of those models.
Instead, I wash quilts in the bathtub with one of the antique clothes washers I own. They work wonderfully and their long handles eliminate the need to spend time on my knees bent over the tub with a rub board or at the river stooping over a flat rock!
These old washers are designed to work like plungers, forcing soapy water through the fabric and removing dirt in the process. When rinsing, clean water is forced through the fabric to remove the soap.
After thoroughly rinsing a quilt, I lay the antique washers horizontally across the top of the tub and stack the drippy quilt on the handles. Gravity works to drain the water from the fabric. After an hour or two, the quilt is nearly dry and I’m able to tumble it in a warm dryer or lay it in the yard atop clean sheets to quickly dry in the sun.
I’m proud to have these antique washers and feel connected to our fore-mothers each time I use them.
Shirl