About Washing Quilts

As I stuffed this old quilt down in the washer, I couldn’t help but think of how it used to be to wash a quilt.  I know how to try to clean them without the washer, but  . . .    The quilt now spinning in the washer is an oft-used quilt from our bed and I wanted it freshened up before winter arrived.

Old quilts were filled with cotton — batts, way back, did not exist and cotton was stretched or carded straight from the field (with seeds removed) — as a filler.  There were no washers — in fact, there was no electricity.  At our house the quilt was soaked for a bit in a tub full of water and then put over in the black wash pot.  The pot had a roaring fire around it and the water boiled and the quilt was moved around with a long and stout stick called the “battlin’ stick.”  When it was time to get the quilt to the rinse water, it took two people to lift it and get it in the first rinse tub.  We move the hot quilt around and turned it over and over in an effort to get the soapy water from the pot out.  Now it’s moved over to the second rinse tub.  After moving it around for a bit it was time to wring the water out.  Doing all this was a big chore and my mother always tried to arrange for washing quilts to take place when my daddy was around to help.  Next the quilt went to the clothes line and because of the weight maybe an extra propping stick would be required.  Propping sticks were used to raise the wire up to keep the quilt from dragging the ground.  Of course, a sunny day was chosen as the best time to wash a quilt and oft times during the day the quilt would be turned over to help with drying.

Nothing smells as good as the bedding dried outside on the clothes line.  It’s just another memory of that style of country living.

Stenciled Basket Quilt