The washing debate is never settled.
Reds are not the only fabrics that might spill color.
I won't buy jelly rolls because or precut little pieces because:
1) I hate the pinked edges
2) I like to prewash
3) Sometimes fabric gets pulled off grain in the processing and then the strips are off grain.
4) Sometimes fabrics (even the "good" ones) shrink and I prefer the flat look in my finished quilts.
One can soak the strips in a basin and then just lay them out on a towel. Kind of a bother, but if one is the obsessive/compulsive type, it works. Minimizes tangling and fraying.