The directions on Warm and Natural say not to spin, and I've followed that with other brands. The bat is so heavy when wet, it needs to be handled carefully so it won't rip or stretch. What I do is squeeze it out, and then squeeze between towels, then dry (I dry it with heat, since I'm trying to pre-shrink it). Both Quilter's Dream and Hobbs say pre-soaking is not recommended, and I suspect they say that because chances of damaging the batting are pretty high unless you're careful. Also, I would lay out the batting so it's all supported, as on a couch or bed, to finish drying, rather than hanging it.