Originally Posted by
csstexas
If I wash in my washing machine I really don’t know if it bled or not. Nor do I know if it is finished bleeding. Do you prewash by hand so you can see what is happening?
I soak some of each new fabric in warm water in the bathroom sink for a few minutes while I do other things. The non-bleeders get washed together (I still use one color catcher). The bleeders get a repeat soak , each one separately. If the bleeding subsides but is still noticeable, I will wash them together with 3 color catchers. Any that don't stop bleeding in the sink no matter what, I wash by itself with 3 color catchers, then soak in the sink again to see if that did the trick. If not, I trash it. This is why I only buy 1/4 yd of reds, deep purples, or black. I'd rather waste $3-4 than $10-12 than be forever sorry I didn't check colorfastness.
Starch? Yes. I love, love, love the crispness and scent of starched fabric. I just iron and say "aaaah, niiiiice!"
Okay, am I weird?