I haven't washed the fabrics yet. I was still trying to decide if I should even bother at all, but I definitely will now that I know. This is good to hear as I have so many great older fabrics that I am just dying to use. :D
I don't think I'll be able to machine wash as the pieces are probably too small for that (too much fraying) but I'll definitely give them all a light hand-wash and try the toothbrush trick for any stubborn spots.
Thanks for your help!