Color Bleeding When Washing a Quilt for the First Time

I washed a beautiful handmade red and white quilt that my 91 year old mother made many years ago. The red bled into the white cotton. Please help. This quilt is priceless. Both fabrics (red and white) are cotton broadcloth.

By Carole Beam from Whitby, Ontario

Answers:

Color Bleeding When Washing a Quilt for the First Time

You didn't mention if you used hot or cold water to wash it.

Fill your washer with cold water then add one or two scoops of Oxyclean and let the quilt soak for a while. I do believe that will take care of your problem.
You can buy a generic brand Oxyclean in either Dollar General or Family Dollar stores. It works exactly the same, because I use it every week when I do the laundry. (04/30/2009)

By Marjorie

Color Bleeding When Washing a Quilt for the First Time

Woolite has a dye catcher product that I would recommend using if you ever wash it again which I would not recommend. Old cottons tend to bleed especially red ones, if I were you I would look up a quilt museum and call them and explain your problem and see what they suggest. At the very worst find a textile restorer that specializes in quilts and see what they can do to remove the color from the white.

Rit dye makes a color remover, but it might remove the color from the whole quilt. I would talk to a museum or textile restoration company and then wash it in the Woolite product with the dye holder in "cold" water and see if you can't get it out, otherwise send it in to be restored as it is a priceless keepsake. Good luck. (05/06/2009)

By Anna Shobe

Color Bleeding When Washing a Quilt for the First Time

I just read your post about red fading on your quilt. I have discovered that a product called Awesome removes red stains like magic. It only costs a dollar at the Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, or Dollar General. I just spray it full strength on the white part. I always spray a little and then just scratch it with the nozzle on the sprayer or a finger nail. I have removed terrible stains with this stuff. I seems to work on red the best. I hope it works for you. Elaine (05/08/2009)

By Elaine Leffler