I think it was ChasingChe who said that she wouldn't, because then after the quilt was washed it would take on a "pottery barn" look. What's your opinion? It's the "warm and natural" batting, and it's for the lap quilt for KR if that makes a difference.

I'll add a poll, and would welcome any comments as well!

Margaret

Washing batting is just going to give you a mess. It will just become lint and ball and bunch up without the quilt outsides to keep it in place.

The batting came with instructions on how to hand-wash, but I too was a little leary of washing it. It said it might shrink up to 3% - does that sound right?

I've used it for twin-sized quilts and when washed it did get that pottery barn quilted look, but not terrible. I thought that's how it was supposed to be? IT didn't pull & bunch weird at all though, if you are worried about that.

It's a good thing to get that look :D

ok I'm the odd one out here I always wash my batting, just regular machine wash and pop in the dryer.
I always buy warm and natural and have never had it pill or get funky.
My issue is more about getting it clean than shrinking it.
that stuff just sits around the store people groping all over it, the joann's where I used to buy it (and worked) just kept the batting rolls piled up in the corner on the floor and they got kicked around and abused.

I also wash every fabric I buy as soon as I bring it home.

I saw some fabric go through some yucky conditions when I worked there, really changed my mind about how "clean" brand new fabric was.
also we took returns if things were uncut, and I don't know what people might have done with fabric before bringing it back to a store.