Thank you to all who replied! I also contacted Island Batiks direct and asked the question. I am including their reply for anyone else who might have questioned this.
Thank you for using Island Batik ! We do prewash all of our fabrics to eliminate bleeding and suggest washing in cold water only. It is not recommended to wash strips prior to use, because they will lose their shape and will fray.
I will put my trust in their reply, I am sure they know their product!