i always pre-wash my batiks- with warm water, detergent- no fabric softener. wash them, toss them into the dryer= when they are almost dry i take them out and press them- if they are red, purple- or any deep color i check to make sure they are not still bleeding before ironing them- but usually one wash takes care of it.
some batiks bleed for a long time- some not at all- but it sure saves frustration to pre-wash them in the first place.