How best to clean a handmade quilt?

Question

My grandmother gave me a handmade quilt that is old but in very good shape. The problem is that it has an odor from being stored for so long. I'm anxious to put it on our guest bed but I don't want to damage it by washing it. I have tried airing it out for a couple of days and then put it in the dryer on a no heat, air only setting with a dryer sheet. Neither helped. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Try some febreeze or take it to the dry cleaner. You could also try misting it with a mixture of vinegar and water(1/4th vinegar 3/4 water)

Answer 2

Try this web site, it has some pretty good ideas for cleaning old quilts. http://www.quilthistory.com/cleaning.htm  

Answer 3

I bet it is a pretty quilt , My grandmother gave me some hand made quilts that her mother made shortly before she passed away , and i stored them but the roof leaked and they were moldy and smelled bad , and one of them was not in good condition , but i Had to take my chances and get it clean ....

Basically I got some baking soda , and I used powdered ARIEL  with oxy azul laundry detergent , I washed them in cold water  with minimal Ariel and 1 1/2 cups of baking soda on the gentle//handwash cycle  and I used the 6 minute wash cycle , They came out smelling so wonderful and they were so clean and  they were not harmed in any way at all , and I dryed them in the air dry setting  with 1 dryer sheet , and since then I have washed them a few more times and they still are fine and I have had no problems with washing them this way .

I hope this will help you !