I have a front loader (grrrr...don't go there) which does have the nice feature of "rinse and spin." I don't get much ravel effect when I do large pieces. I figure the rinse and spin is enough to get the dust and extra dye out (using a Color Catcher for that) and then any shrinkage is taken care of with the dryer. Plus the whole thing will be completely washed when it's finished. Works for me!