A T-shirt quilt is made to be enjoyed—not tucked away in a closet. With the right care, your Quilt My Shirts quilt can remain soft, clean, and beautiful for many years.
Every Quilt My Shirts quilt includes a washing-instructions label sewn directly onto the quilt, so you will always have the basic care information close at hand.
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Washing Your T-Shirt Quilt
We recommend following these steps:
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Wash your quilt in cool water.
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Select a gentle or
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delicate washing cycle.
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Use a mild laundry detergent.
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Do not use bleach.
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Wash the quilt by itself, especially the first time.
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Line dry when possible.
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If desired, place the quilt in the dryer for approximately 10 minutes on a low or no-heat setting to soften and fluff it.
For larger quilts, make sure your washing machine has enough room for the quilt to move freely. A large-capacity front-loading washer or a commercial-size washer at a laundromat may be the best choice. Avoid forcing a large quilt into a washer that is too small.
What If the T-Shirts Have Never Been Washed?
Whenever possible, T-shirts should be washed before they are sent to us. Most well-loved shirts have already been washed many times and are unlikely to release much dye.
However, a new or previously unwashed shirt—especially one that is red, navy, black, or another deeply saturated color—may release loose dye during its first few washings. That dye could transfer to the lighter shirts or fabrics in the quilt.
For this reason, we recommend adding a dye-trapping laundry sheet, such as a Shout Color Catcher, when washing a quilt that contains new or unwashed shirts.
A Color Catcher sheet is placed in the washing machine with the quilt. It is designed to absorb and trap loose dye circulating in the wash water before that dye settles onto other fabrics.
Always follow the instructions printed on the Color Catcher package. Depending on the quilt’s size and the number of dark or brightly colored shirts, the package may recommend using more than one sheet.
Color Catchers offer helpful added protection, but they cannot guarantee that bleeding will not occur. If you are especially concerned about a new shirt, washing it separately before it is made into the quilt is always the safest choice.
Drying Your Quilt
Line drying is the gentlest choice. Support the quilt well while it is wet rather than allowing its full weight to hang from only one edge.
Once the quilt is mostly dry, you may tumble it in the dryer for about 10 minutes on a low or no-heat setting. This helps soften and fluff the quilt without exposing the shirts, batting, and printed designs to prolonged heat.
Avoid high dryer temperatures. Excessive heat can cause shrinkage and may damage some screen-printed or heat-applied T-shirt designs.
Treating Small Spots
For a small spill, gently blot the area with cool water and a mild detergent. Avoid vigorous scrubbing, which can damage a printed design or work the stain farther into the fibers.
Before using any stain-removal product, test it on a small, inconspicuous area. Do not use chlorine bleach.
A Quilt Made to Be Used and Loved
Your T-shirt quilt holds memories of special people, places, teams, schools, vacations, and milestones. Proper washing and drying will help preserve those memories while allowing your quilt to remain part of everyday life.
If you ever have a question about caring for your quilt, please contact us at QuiltMyShirts.com. We are always happy to help.
Turning T-shirts into treasured memories since 2001.