Synnove, I agree with you 100%. The only time I don't prewash is with jelly rolls, 10 inch squares and charm packs. On dark colors, I fill my machine with hot water add Retayne as instructions on bottle, add my fabric, agitate to get everything mixed well and Retayne into the fabric and let it set for at least 2 hours and sometimes over night. Then I wash in warm water with a color catcher and if it has color on it, I repeat the second time.