To pre-wash or not?

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04-24-2014, 04:18 PM

#71

Carrie in PA

Junior Member

Join Date: Apr 2014

Location: Shamokin, Pa

Posts: 127

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sewnoma

I should have known it wouldn't work, or else everybody would be doing it! Thanks for the info.

Oh goodness...we have 3 dogs and 2 cats and they're always slumped on our laps. Our quilts are washed very frequently; some of the lap quilts in the living room get washed at LEAST every other week, if not weekly. Bed quilts get washed less often (animals aren't allowed up on the bed) but at least 2x per year.

I got some great evidence as to why prewashing is a good idea recently and it made me think of this thread... DH & I were buying a whole lot of yardage to make a bunch of new curtains and when they unrolled the fabric TWO SILVERFISH came darting out. Ugh!!! Seeing that made me grateful my quilting stash is all pre-washed, otherwise my imagination would have me thinking it's all crawling with bugs and bug poop. Yuuuck! The fabric we bought isn't washable (groan) so it's sealed up in a plastic bag with some cedar sachets right now "just in case" we missed any creepy crawlies. Once the curtains are made I will probably have them dry cleaned because even though I can't see it or smell it I'm sure there's bug poop in there.

If you are that worried about the silverfish, keep them bagged for 2 months and sprinkle salt all over the fabric while it sits. The salt draws out the moisture and it will kill silverfish. We don't have them often where i live unless it rains a lot but they sure do creep me out.

04-24-2014, 05:34 PM

#72

deedum

Super Member

Join Date: Jun 2009

Location: Bluebell

Posts: 4,291

I dont prewash anymore, did years ago. Now with color catchers, it is wonderful. My stuff, so I can take
the risk.

04-24-2014, 07:51 PM

#73

newbee3

Super Member

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: Central Iowa

Posts: 2,338

WHEN I have taken classes they don't prewash when they make up the kits and the 5x5's so you can quess I do not pre wash

04-25-2014, 06:02 PM

#74

quilter2090

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2012

Posts: 421

But I don't iron the fabric until I am ready to use it. I just want clean fabric with no chemicals in it. I had put some unwashed fabric in with a storage tote of washed fabric. A few month later I went to take the fabric out and ALL of my fabric in that tote smelled to high heaven. I had to go and wash everything in that tote. Now think for a moment, if the chemicals had leached from the unwashed fabric so much that it made all the fabrics in the tote smell from chemicals, imagine what a LOT of unwashed fabric would smell like in a closed room. If you don't suffer from allergies, that' great. Buy why would you want to smell the chemicals that they spray on fabric to keep bugs off? But that's is your choice, it's a free country and we can all do what we want. Wonderful, isn't it?