I read somewhere that if you clip the ends of the selvages at an angle, it keeps the selvages from raveling so bad. It works, but it also tells you at a glance whether the fabric has been washed or not. Another tip on washing fabrics (gleaned from some quilting magazine) is to accordian fold the fabric then Pin the selvage edged together with large safety pins. When fabric comes from washer, give it a shake, holding onto the edge with the pins, then when it comes out of the dryer, give it another shake to straighten it out. It is amazing how smooth the fabric comes out. I've used this with long yardages--no more tangled messes.