# How to clean a 40-year old hand crocheted bedspread



## loubroy (Feb 15, 2013)

My husband has a full-size hand-crocheted bedspread that his aunt made around 40 years ago. It is mostly 3dc filligre with popcorn stitch diamond motifs. We have had it for about 25 to 30 years and wondered about the feasibility of cleaning it. If so, how would you approach such a task?


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## Margaretishbel (May 3, 2015)

What fibre is it?


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## ompuff (Apr 9, 2011)

Wash on gentle cycle and dry until almost dry and then complete by air drying.

Those items are usually stronger than they look.


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## loubroy (Feb 15, 2013)

Margaretishbel said:


> What fibre is it?


I am pretty sure it is cotton size 20 or 30 crochet thread.


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## RNash (Sep 30, 2015)

Found this in the net...
"Try Fels Naphtha Heavy Duty Laundry Bar Soap found in the laundry section of almost any store. This is a bar soap you wet and rub into the stain. I have used this to remove set in blood stains and it removed it with no problem at all."

And..."I have removed old horrendous stains by using 1 cup of powdered "Biz" and 1 cup of "Clorox II" powdered bleach in a bucket of hot water. Stir until the powders dissolve. Add your stained items right away or wait until the mixture cools. I let one item soak for 5 days and the stain ( baby formula from 30+ years ago!!) finally came out!"

I will be trying these products on an old tablecloth my Grandmother made which also has decades old stains. Good luck to us!


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## Montana Gramma (Dec 19, 2012)

If you don't want to chance the washer take it to the dry cleaners. The solution isn't good for cottons some say, I did a quilt years ago to remove rust from a couple pins. So far it is fine, no discoloration or little holes happening. If you do wash it be careful lifting the heavy item, the weight can cause threads to break.


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## charbaby (Mar 24, 2013)

Professionals. That's how we cleaned a huge, heavy cotton lace tablecloth that had belonged to my husband's aunt & uncle. It would have been too heavy when wet to manage at home. They did a top notch job.


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## K2P2 knitter (Jan 31, 2013)

I had crocheted a pineapple table cloth out of size 10 crochet cotton. It had been packed away for many years. When I took it out I found it had yellowed. I tried everything I could think of with no luck until I tried a small amount of Oxiclean in the wash water. It worked wonders and didn't harm the the table cloth.


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## moke (Oct 8, 2011)

I agree charbaby, I have had many heirlooms tear, because weight when lifting into dryer. Becareful


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## mitkit01 (Jul 20, 2013)

Oxyclean worked very well for my daughter's stained and very large doily. I air-dryed it just in case any stains remained. Had to wash it a second time, though.
It looks wonderful, with no more permanent marker stains on it.


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## Kahlua (Aug 7, 2012)

I've washed a 60 yrs old crochet bedspread on the gentle cycle in the washer....I let it sit for a few hours so that the excess water drains to the bottom of the machine, then I put it on the drain/spin & then I do put it in the dryer on gentle...it does take awhile to dry, but if you leave it in the washing machine long enough for the water to work it's way to the bottom it isn't that heave.


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## Belle1 (May 20, 2012)

I use my grandmother's crochet bed spread on a daily basis and wash in the regular washer at least once a year. I prefer to dry it outside on the clothes line (usually draped over two or three lines so the sides don't hit the ground). It was made with 100% mercerized cotton thread size 10. The color is nice and white, letting it dry in the sun for a portion of the day helps keep it fresh. The only challenges I've had is that a couple of Grandmother's knots have come loose. So I inspect it fully after each laundry and fix any joins that look weak. These items were made to be used, but used in a manner which would have been considered "normal" in their day -- soap not detergents, blueing maybe, and line drying. I know that she made this in the 1943 because I found a reference to it in her diary of that year. I don't remember seeing it a lot as a child, but since it came into my possession in 1994 I've used it constantly on my bed. Knowing that my grandmother was an extremely practical person, I know that she made it to be used; so I do. Best of luck with your heirloom.


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## bettyirene (Apr 5, 2012)

Take it to a dry-cleaner.


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## Kahlua (Aug 7, 2012)

I agree with Belle1 they were meant to be used & they didn't have the modern appliances that we have today...


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## tdorminey (Mar 22, 2011)

My mother used a solution of 50% water and 50% lemon juice (RealLemon® also works well) in a spray bottle. Lay the item out in the grass on a clean sheet, spray well - especially on discrete stains - and allow to lie in the sun on a bright day. Occasionally it might take a 2nd day, but usually one is enough to bleach it out. 

Another old school trick: if you just cannot get it white, soak it in a tub with a weak tea solution to dye it an antique white/ivory/beige color to help hide the stains. The stronger the tea, the longer the soak, the deeper the color.


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## loubroy (Feb 15, 2013)

Thanks to all who responded to my question about washing a crocheted bedspread. I will look into each answer.


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## Paksenarion (Mar 6, 2017)

Citric acid (lemon juice) will work as a very mild bleaching solution. I do remember hearing something about sour milk to keep whites white. Lol yup just found it http://www.instructables.com/id/Milk-does-wonders!/ .

Tea dye I did that at Christmas #10 crochet thread garland I made. Use a good black tea Orange pekoe or a Darjeerling. My Earl Gray went a very slightly red color, worked good for me but might clash with your decor.


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## patriciamb (Jul 13, 2011)

I have found that the sun bleaches out a lot of spots after you have washed the item. My mom always said put it out in the sun.


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## Lorikeet (Jan 15, 2016)

My mother always put items with rust stains out on the back porch in the sun. First she covered the stains with salt and then squirted on lemon juice. The lemon juice bleached the stains and the salt drew them out.


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## patm (Apr 20, 2012)

My Mom always put hers in the bathtub in the hottest water she could with Sunlight dish detergent as the soap. Let it soak, swish it about and dry it in the sunlight. Her stuff was always bright white.


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## malfrench (Apr 7, 2011)

I am so happy to see all of the suggestions here. I have a king size, double and two twin sized spreads all crocheted by my aunt. I use the king, but have the others stored away with their under sheets. I often wonder what will become of them when I transition.


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## Irene1 (Oct 23, 2013)

Or go,the gentle route.....soak in Eucalan or Soakin a basin. After a good 30 minutes or so, drain. You don't need to rinse if you don't want to. Transfer to a washer and run through the spin cycle only. Lay flat to dry.


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## Aggie May (Aug 28, 2011)

loubroy said:


> My husband has a full-size hand-crocheted bedspread that his aunt made around 40 years ago. It is mostly 3dc filligre with popcorn stitch diamond motifs. We have had it for about 25 to 30 years and wondered about the feasibility of cleaning it. If so, how would you approach such a task?


Check at your local museum to see if they have a conservator of textiles.
They should know how to clean it.
Remember, if it is large, it will become very heavy when wet and will be very hard to spread out into the correct shape to dry so maybe the other alternative is to ask your local dry cleaner.
I regularly wash table cloths but they are easier to manage because they are smaller.
Have fun.
Colleen


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## just4brown (Jul 21, 2014)

I was going to say Oxyclean also.


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## sutclifd (Feb 26, 2013)

My grandmother crocheted a bedspread (for a double bed). My mother took it to the dry cleaners to clean it but they ignored one really important step -- to wrap all of the tassels before they cleaned out. While the spread itself came out just fine....the tassels are so tangled (and there are so many of them) that she never took the time to untangle them. Now that the spread is mine (and I don't have a double bed), I've not taken the time to fix them, either. I just curse the dry cleaner every time I pass the packaged-up spread.


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## Faye Gibbons (Apr 14, 2017)

My late mother-in-law told me to just plain water soaking overnight would remove an amazing amount of stain. Use distilled water. I soaked a crocheted tablecloth two times this way and it was almost totally clean before I did the oxyclean wash by hand. Drying in the sun helped too.


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## EstherOne (Jan 25, 2016)

loubroy said:


> My husband has a full-size hand-crocheted bedspread that his aunt made around 40 years ago. It is mostly 3dc filligre with popcorn stitch diamond motifs. We have had it for about 25 to 30 years and wondered about the feasibility of cleaning it. If so, how would you approach such a task?


That's about the same age as the bedspread I made for our bed.
Mine is 100% cotton and I launder it in the washing machine with the settings on cold wash, cold rinse, and gentle cycle. 
I have a long round "dowel" of about 2" diameter that will sit on the railings of the sundeck, and hand the spread over that to dry. This way there are no clothes pins' marks or a sharp line from a regular clothes line.


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## flitri (Jun 13, 2011)

If I were washing this,I would soak it in a laundry tub with washing detergent and then gently squeeze it through my fingers agitating the water through it. I would then rinse it completely, you may have to rinse a few times till the water is clear. I would then hand ring as much water out as possible and put a thin cotton sheet over a few rungs of an outside line and peg the bedcover over the sheet to dry in the sun.


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## Susan Spencer (Dec 23, 2013)

There's a product called "Retro Clean" which is especially formulated to clean old and stained textiles. You soak the item in the solution outside for a day or two, and then rinse--I usually dump the whole tub into the washer and then rinse and spin on gentle, then line dry. If you're wary of the washer, you can use the bath tub--put an old sheet underneath, and lift out the sheet to prevent any strain on the crochet stitches. Good luck!


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## janetj54 (Mar 12, 2011)

Oxi clean works great.


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## Laddie (Mar 17, 2013)

I can't believe you've been using it without ever cleaning it! That makes me a little sick just thinking about it. So bash me now, it kind of makes my skin crawl. I think your hubby's aunt would appreciate the fact that younusednit for all these years but it's time to move on.


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## susandkline (Oct 26, 2015)

Belle1 said:


> I use my grandmother's crochet bed spread on a daily basis and wash in the regular washer at least once a year. I prefer to dry it outside on the clothes line (usually draped over two or three lines so the sides don't hit the ground). It was made with 100% mercerized cotton thread size 10. The color is nice and white, letting it dry in the sun for a portion of the day helps keep it fresh. The only challenges I've had is that a couple of Grandmother's knots have come loose. So I inspect it fully after each laundry and fix any joins that look weak. These items were made to be used, but used in a manner which would have been considered "normal" in their day -- soap not detergents, blueing maybe, and line drying. I know that she made this in the 1943 because I found a reference to it in her diary of that year. I don't remember seeing it a lot as a child, but since it came into my possession in 1994 I've used it constantly on my bed. Knowing that my grandmother was an extremely practical person, I know that she made it to be used; so I do. Best of luck with your heirloom.


When I was newlywed, my 80 year old landlady dried her crocheted cotton bedspread on top of a white sheet she placed on the grass and let it dry in the sun. I gave up even hanging clothes outside because of the droppings from birds, but if you don't have that problem maybe you could try her method. I wash one I received from my great-aunt on the gentle cycle then drape it over several lines to dry. As others have mentioned, the spread is very heavy when wet. It's best to distribute the weight.


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## mrselaine (Nov 2, 2016)

Laddie...that was not a very nice post. In fact it was kinda hateful...and we don't like hateful on KP. I am sure that lady's bedspread was not yukky or gross. I'm sure they didn't smear peanut butter and jelly on it. I have had crocheted doilies out for a long time. They just collect a bit of dust. I'm sure hers is just a tad dusty. How can you tell that lady to move on. That is so out of line. Apparently you don't treasure family heirlooms. If you are a clean freak...good for you. The rest of us are normal. I have a 70 yr old quilt laying on the corner of my bed and I love it.
Elaine


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## ompuff (Apr 9, 2011)

mrselaine said:


> Laddie...that was not a very nice post. In fact it was kinda hateful...and we don't like hateful on KP. I am sure that lady's bedspread was not yukky or gross. I'm sure they didn't smear peanut butter and jelly on it. I have had crocheted doilies out for a long time. They just collect a bit of dust. I'm sure hers is just a tad dusty. How can you tell that lady to move on. That is so out of line. Apparently you don't treasure family heirlooms. If you are a clean freak...good for you. The rest of us are normal. I have a 70 yr old quilt laying on the corner of my bed and I love it.
> Elaine


Also, the OP did not state that the bedspread had been in use and/or was dirty/stained.

She has stated she has the information she needed- perhaps it's time to all us 'experts' to get back to our knitting/crocheting. :sm01: :sm01:


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## Aggie May (Aug 28, 2011)

mrselaine said:


> Laddie...that was not a very nice post. In fact it was kinda hateful...and we don't like hateful on KP. I am sure that lady's bedspread was not yukky or gross. I'm sure they didn't smear peanut butter and jelly on it. I have had crocheted doilies out for a long time. They just collect a bit of dust. I'm sure hers is just a tad dusty. How can you tell that lady to move on. That is so out of line. Apparently you don't treasure family heirlooms. If you are a clean freak...good for you. The rest of us are normal. I have a 70 yr old quilt laying on the corner of my bed and I love it.
> Elaine


I totally agree with you, Laddie didn't not choose her/his words with any care which can upset others but maybe she/he was having a bad day.
Not to make things worse, but I will anyway, I have a crocheted mohair blanket my mum made about 23 yrs ago, after suffering a stroke, and in all those years it has never been washed.
It is still as beautiful as the day she finished it and I will wash it when I really think it needs it.
It is only touched by hands which are clean and is always the top layer on the bed.
Every summer it is packed away until we feel the cold of autumn then it comes out again.
My mum passed away in 2010 aged 94 so you can imagine how much I still treasure my "cuddle" each night during winter, from my mum.
Have fun.
Colleen


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## lindalink (May 3, 2016)

I have one my grandmother made about 50 years ago. It sounds the same...popcorn stitch. I inherited it from my mother. I've never washed it. We've had no pets that sleep on the spread. So, I just place it in the dryer to removed dust,whatever. I do that with throw pillows, anything that might not handle the wash cycle


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## fourbyin (Oct 6, 2013)

what a lovely heirloom


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## yanagi (Jul 7, 2013)

Here's how my Grandmother (and I) cleaned hers. Fill a washtub (washing machine) with warm water. Take a potato peeler and shave a good amount of Fells Naptha soap into the water. Swish it around with your hand to disolve. Put the item in the tub and leave it for about 30 minutes. If you're using a washing machine put it on hold. After the soak, agitate it for a bit. If you're using a tub just slosh it up and down until your arms are tired. The wringing bit is where I use a machine. Do not wring by hand, you'll ruin the shape. If you're using a tub, squeeze as much water out of it as you can then wrap in towels and walk it. If using a machine, make sure the item is evenly and loosely distributed around the tub then run the spin cycle. Dry by laying out on a flat surface. [I put mine on the bed then turn a fan on it] Dry completely. Good luck.


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## Laddie (Mar 17, 2013)

I'm so very sorry that I offended everyone. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone and I said to jump on me and you did. I was thinking it was it had skin contact like a blanket. I'm truly sorry to all of you. I would think that if you try washing it on a cool gentle cycle and a few minutes in the dryer won't hurt it but what do I know? I think it will come out fresh as a daisy and that your aunt would be proud. If I comes out with a few battle wounds, I'm sure you can patch it up beautifully. All of you do such beautiful work someone will help you if you need it. 
Again, I'm sooo sorry and from now on, I'll keep my bg mouth shut.


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## ladybuys (Jan 14, 2011)

Hummmmm. On an item this old and this special, I think I would leave this task to a professional cleaner.


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## Nanamel14 (Aug 4, 2016)

I would wash in the gentle cycle of a washing machne, using a mild detergent, then dry flat outside in the shade (if possible) I live in Australia and find the sun a bit harsh and it dry's things to quickly


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## tygereye (Sep 1, 2016)

I can remember my Mom shaving off small bits and in hot water allowing it to melt. Then adding it to the washing to help with whiteness and stains. Just saw it in Walmart yesterday its still made and used today! 

"Try Fels Naphtha Heavy Duty Laundry Bar Soap found in the laundry section of almost any store. This is a bar soap you wet and rub into the stain. I have used this to remove set in blood stains and it removed it with no problem at all."


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## cookie68 (May 5, 2012)

I was the last one in my family to get a bedspread made by my grandmother. It is 72 years old, also I have older ones that belonged to family members. I put mine in bathtub with a little bluing and put it on towels and lay on lawn. No problem.


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## Aggie May (Aug 28, 2011)

Laddie said:


> I'm so very sorry that I offended everyone. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone and I said to jump on me and you did. I was thinking it was it had skin contact like a blanket. I'm truly sorry to all of you. I would think that if you try washing it on a cool gentle cycle and a few minutes in the dryer won't hurt it but what do I know? I think it will come out fresh as a daisy and that your aunt would be proud. If I comes out with a few battle wounds, I'm sure you can patch it up beautifully. All of you do such beautiful work someone will help you if you need it.
> Again, I'm sooo sorry and from now on, I'll keep my bg mouth shut.


No problems really Laddie. It is very hard to make your meaning absolutely clear when people cannot see your face or hear the tone of your voice when you write on a forum.
Very easy for others to misunderstand.
I have often written something only to delete it instead of posting because I think my meaning might be misconstrued.
Don't let this stop you responding to others on this forum. Everyone's opinion is valid and worthwhile in the long run.
Have fun.
Colleen


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## solshine (Nov 30, 2016)

Dawn dish soap is wonderful. Set in star s use Greased Lightening. I get it at home depot. I have used it to take lipstick off paper blinds. By the way, they use Dawn to clean birds caught in oil slicks. Gets grease out and doesn't hurt delicate feathers.


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## quilting82 (Oct 4, 2014)

Whatever cleaning method you use, and I have used successfully two or three listed above, the person who talked about the weight of a wet bedspread potentially breaking the crochet thread, is absolutely correct. Dry the item on your dinning room table, cover the table with old towels first, because that will help absorb any left over liquid from the cleaning. Spreading the item on a table will prevent stress on old cotton fibers, which could lead to breakage.


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## kippyfure (Apr 9, 2011)

First soak it in a solution of Oxiclean--this product works particularly well on crochet cotton.


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