How to Keep Colors From Running on New Quilts
- 1). Plan ahead for this treatment by checking the weather forecast. At the end of the process, you will have to dry your quilt, and the best way to do that is to leave it out in the sun on a clear, sunny and preferably warm day. Pick the most promising sunny day in the forecast to begin.
- 2). Wash the bathtub well if it is not already very clean.
- 3). Fill the bathtub with cold water. Then measure out 4 cups of common table salt and pour into the water. Stir the water around with your hand for several minutes until the salt is mostly dissolved and distributed.
- 4). Unfold the quilt and bunch it loosely, then put it into the tub. Push it down or add water as necessary to get the quilt completely submerged. Leave it to soak for about two hours.
- 5). Drain the salt water out of the tub. Use the tub faucet or shower head to rinse the entire quilt very well. Take your time with the rinsing. You don't want to leave a salty residue behind.
- 6). Lay out plastic tarps, tablecloths or other materials on your lawn to create a flat, clean surface on which the quilt can dry. If you have outdoor tables that are large enough to accommodate your quilt, you may use those as long as they are perfectly clean. Make sure that your prepared surface is at least as large as the quilt when it is entirely unfolded.
- 7). Lay the wet quilt out on the drying surface under the sun. Check on it about every 30 minutes. As soon as the top layer is dry to the touch, set the quilt aside and turn your clean drying surface over. Then put the quilt back on top, with the damp side facing up.
- 8). Continue checking the quilt every 30 minutes. When the last side of the quilt feels dry to the touch, the quilt can be folded up and stored or used. The materials you used as the barrier between the quilt and the ground can be washed or folded and stored.
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