what can i do to save this quilt?

[red and lulu]

i have a beautiful queen sized anthropologie quilt that my mom bought for me just last year. long story short: when we were on vacation in april the realtor showing our house shut my cat out of his litterbox... and so he used our bed for a litterbox i took the quilt (which has to be dry cleaned anyway) to the cleaners, who assured me they'd be able to get the cat mess out, but i was more concerned with the chemicals they use since i know that stuff lingers and my daughter sleeps in bed with us. the cleaner said it wouldn't be a problem, the blanket would be good as new. well, i got the quilt back 2 weeks later and in addition to being faded and slightly pilled, it REEKED. it was nauseating. so the quilt spent a couple weeks on the front porch, then a few days over lawn chairs in the backyard, then several weeks hanging over the clothes line, and all that time outdoors airing out made barely any difference. it's been rolled up in a garbage bag in the linen closet for a couple weeks now, but it's really bothering me. i took it out last night and it made the whole upstairs smell and made me and dp nauseous. it's a beautiful (and expensive) quilt and i'd like to be able to use it, but i don't know what to do. two months of fresh air did nothing for it. i can't wash it in the machine. and i'm definitely not taking it back to the dry cleaners...
ideas???

[yeahwhat]

If it's a choice between never using it because of the smell and washing it in a machine, I'd take the risk and wash it in a machine on delicate.

[Ruthiegirl]

Yep, I would risk the washer too. Use a front loader (laundromat or a friend's if you don't have one), spin on the lowest setting and see what happens. Not like you can use it as is, so why not? Lay it flat to dry.

When I wash my handmade quilts, I use my front loader and lay them on a sheet in the backyard. I cover them with a second sheet to protect them from bird droppings.

[cappuccinosmom]

Try washing and line drying. What is it made of? (Dont' tell anybody but I have washed many dry clean only things and they've come out just fine)

[red and lulu]

Originally Posted by cappuccinosmom

Try washing and line drying. What is it made of? (Dont' tell anybody but I have washed many dry clean only things and they've come out just fine)

It's cotton, but very thin delicate cotton. Because its cotton I thought there should be no reason not to regular wash it, but a friend tried once with her Anthropologie quilt and it mangled it-- something to do with the fill and how it's stitched.

But you all are right: If its essentially unusable anyway, it can't hurt to try the washer.

Thanks

[MamaJenese]

Try putting it in an extra large lingerie bag or tie it up in a king size pillow case before washing it. THat would help a bit to protect it.

[artemis33]

you could try hand washing it in the bath tub and then hanging it outside.