Welcome to the board! I'm so excited to hear of another young person becoming one of "us"!
I also work in a quilt shop...love it!
I agree with the gals here about not washing precuts. I do prewash my FQs and yardage just to get the sizing and pesticides out of them. After cutting fabric all day at the shop, I notice an icky feeling to my hands...it's the gunk they treat the fabric with!
This is how I wash my quilts to keep them from wearing out:
Fill the washer with cold water and detergent. Add the quilt and squeeze gently until it is all wet. Soak for 30 minutes. DO NOT AGITATE! Spin the water out. Repeat with rinse water.
I have one of those 5-line retractible clotheslines. I drape the quilt, backside up, over all 5 lines so that the weight is evenly distributed and use spring-loaded clothespins to hold it in place. My yard is all shade, so it is not in direct sunlight. You could cover the quilt with a clean sheet with the same results.