Originally Posted by nursie76
I have been Googling Synthrapol. Do you just add it to your washer load and still add regular detergent, fabric softener, and then dry?
Synthrapol is itself a detergent, so you don't need additional detergent. I do use fabric softener.
A lot of quilt shops carry Synthrapol now and it's not very expensive.
Bleeding occurs when there is excess dye in a fabric that did not get "set". Every once in awhile you might run across a fabric that bleeds excessively and won't stop bleeding. That is a fabric in which the dye most likely never was properly "set". Assuming you catch such a fabric before it gets into a quilt (usually these are suspicious fabrics from the outset, and you may notice color rubbing off on your hands), you can prewash the fabric in Retayne. Retayne is just the opposite of Synthrapol. It sets dye into fabric. You would *never, ever* want to wash a quilt in Retayne as it would permanently set bleeds. However, it's very handy if you have a beautiful fabric that bleeds like crazy. Quilt shops that cater to fabric dyers often have Retayne on hand for purchase.
Sorry if this is more info than you wanted.....