I do a test pre-wash of everything in the sink. However, I have a friend who takes a shortcut. She pre-washes in a washer, but toward the end of the wash cycle, she dips a clear glass into the water and checks the color of the water in the glass. Then she proceeds as necessary. This works for large pieces of fabric, such as backings, which she would wash anyway to take care of shrinkage. I think it is smart of her to stop the washer and check for bleeding during the cycle.
I am very irritated by quilt shop owners and their employees who state that only low priced fabrics will bleed. They tell me that as they are ringing up my Retayne.