i wash fabric in a cold water with free and clear detergent and a color catcher, dry in the dryer on high, and fold as I take it from the dryer. I tie a piece of selvage around the folded fabric, put an address label on the selvage and mark the length of the fabric piece for future reference. Fabric is ironed when I am ready to use it.
I don't use starch because of allergies.
Washing removes allergens, chemicals, an odors from the fabric and that makes a huge difference to me. Unwashed fabric literally makes me sick!
Other than the 'health' preparations, I don't do much to my fabric before using it.
PS: Another reason i wash fabrics - I assume that every piece of fabric has been stored in a place that has bug problems. That does not necessarily mean that the place I bought it from had the problem. It means that somewhere between factory and my home it was in a less than pristine environment.
Last edited by cathyvv; 08-25-2014 at 08:30 PM.