To make a long story short: I prewash everything made in a natural fibers before storing it away, and sometimes even do a double check (testing a small amount in a hot cup of soapy water,swishing it around, then blotting it on a piece of white cloth or paper towel) questionable fabrics like heavy over dyed reds, blues, or similar. Most of the time, in the garment industry production end, prewashing is not performed unless to get an washed effect like done on "prewashed" or "broken in" jeans. Their care labels reflect this by instructing to wash in cold water use a low machine drying temperature, line dry or dry clean. I don't want to risk not only shrinkage (I use 100% natural fabrics mostly), but also running dyes disasters during the first wash. All my quilts/blankets are intended to be utility ones-used and cleaned many times throughout their usable lifespans. I don't want to worry about anything after I construct the fabric and wash & dry them over and over again in either home or commercial washers/dryers on warmer side of the water/heat temperatures.
Last edited by Bicycle Hobo; 04-22-2012 at 06:31 PM.