Quilt · Dec 07, 2021

Can You Wash a Bamboo Quilt? Guide: How to Wash Bamboo Quilts

The main causes of sleep problems can be easily overlooked as we often fail to properly diagnose whether they’re genetic, environmental, or even psychiatric. In any case, the first place we should start when trying to improve our sleep hygiene is in fact the hygiene of the bed itself.

So, if you look at how dust mites - microscopic, insect-like pests that feed on flakes of dead skin cells - can impact the health of people with allergies and asthma, you may see why it’s so important to keep things in our sleeping environment clean. This also goes for quilts, your luxuriously decorative beddings which serve as your thermoregulating guardians throughout the whole year.

Although you can reduce the chances of allergic reactions by purchasing bedding textiles made from bamboo fibres, you still need to properly care for your bamboo quilt.

But, how can you do that? Can you wash a bamboo quilt?

Yes! Let’s see how.

Can You Wash a Bamboo Quilt at Home?

Even though it’s preferable to dry clean it, you can indeed wash your bamboo quilt at home and save some of your hard-earned money. To preserve its delicate nature and softness, however, you’ll have to pay attention to the way you wash it.

What’s the Best Way to Wash Your Bamboo Quilt?

According to the American Patchwork & Quilting, hand-washing is the best way to clean your bamboo quilt. Here are some steps you should follow:

Start by making sure the tub you’ll be using is perfectly clean and pour some cold or lukewarm water.
Before you submerge the quilt in the water, mix a gentle, liquid detergent until completely dissolved.
Make sure not to use fabric softener, bleach, or a detergent with optical brighteners in the process as these may contain harsh chemicals that can damage the quilt’s natural fibers.
Place the quilt inside your tub. Without squeezing or twisting, gently agitate to remove any dirt.
Empty your tub, rinse the quilt out, and repeat until there’s no more liquid detergent left.
Without wringing, gently squeeze out any excess water by rolling the quilt from one end to the other.

Before diving into the drying process of your favorite bamboo bedding, we’ll discuss whether machine washing is a good idea or not.

How to Wash a Bamboo Quilt in a Washing Machine

A good rule of thumb according to manufacturers is to use cold water on a gentle cycle. Couple this with a mild detergent and you’ve got yourself a proper machine wash for most bamboo quilts.

To maintain the original look, however, it’s crucial to pre-treat stains before putting the quilt into a washing machine. To do that, you can sprinkle baking soda over the stain and mix it with a few drops of water. Once the material is slightly wet, gently rub the baking soda and let it sit for an hour before washing.

Note that machine washing isn’t recommended by certain manufacturers of bamboo quilts.

Air Dry Outdoors

Even though you can technically dry certain bamboo fabric quilts in a drying machine by using a delicate setting at the lowest heat, air drying is recommended. It’s especially important to air dry if there are care instructions with a symbol that has a square with a rounded line in it, suggesting to line-dry the quilt.

An important thing you should do is keep the quilt away from direct sunlight once you decide to dry it naturally. Ideally, you should look for a nice, sheltered area where there is a soft breeze.

To avoid any inconveniences, consumers prefer using a flat rack, however, if you don’t have an enormous drying rack - create a bed of towels on the ground and lay your quilt on top of it.

Another tip for getting the excess wetness out is to place some sort of a bedsheet on top of your quilt and gently roll it up. The last step is to either put some sort of a mattress topper or towels and lay your quilt on top of them.

Conclusion

Before advising you to wash your bamboo quilt at home, we would like to remind you that every brand uses different materials, which require different washing methods.

Reading the care instructions carefully will prolong the lifespan of your quilt, all the while keeping you safe from dust mites.

FAQ

Can I tumble dry quilts made of bamboo fabrics?

No. In fact, you should use the lowest heat setting when machine drying your quilt.

What are the simplest steps for washing quilts made of bamboo fibers?

The rule of thumb for washing bamboo quilts is using cool water, a mild laundry detergent, not using any fabric softeners, and gently rinsing the quilt.