DogHouseMom

I want to share some before and after pictures with you, and a few lessons learned.

I had purchased a lovely stripe fabric quite some time ago from someone on QB. Because it was a large quantity (far more than I needed) and it came in a box ... when it arrived I simply looked in the box, said "yup - fabric" and put the box in my sewing room.

*Normally* I'm a dedicated pre-washer and fabric doesn't go into my room until it's laundered (mostly so I know that ALL the fabric in my stash is laundered).

Fast forward to today. A board member needed some stripe fabric for a project and I knew I had a lot of this so I posted a pic and offered it up. She said yes she wanted some. So I started to shake it out so I could measure and cut and I noticed several stains on it. They looks like water stains and the fabric had bled horribly (see pic #1).

So I wrote the QB member and told her what happened and that I wanted to wash it first in Synthropol lest this fabric bleed and ruin her whole quilt. So I prepared a wash and I even supplemented the hot water in my washer with 3 kettles of boiling water and added my synthropol and two color catchers.

When the wash was done I found one of the color catchers laying right on top and I couldn't believe how much color was in it!!

So .... put the kettle back on and did a second hot water and synthropol wash!! Color catcher still had color in it so .... yeah ... wash #3.

My tea kettle and water heater are developing muscles.

See pic #2 of the three color catchers from wash 1 through 3. Can you believe this??

Dried the fabric and laid it out on the table and cut 1 yard for the QB member - making sure she did not get any of the stained areas (which were all confined to 1 side of the selvedge). Then I folded the remaining fabric. I looked again at the stain and now I don't think water or bleeding was the culprit ... it looks more like a chemical stain. Bleach perhaps?? Dunno, but I'm glad I *thought* it was bleeding from a water stain because if I didn't I wouldn't have gone through such great lengths to make sure all the color came out.

See pic # 3 for the stain after laundering. No change at all. If it was bleeding from water, I would think Synthropol would have taken it out. See pic #4 for the whole fabric laid out and being folded. Now I want to cut it and use it!!

I'm sold on Synthropol. First time I've used it.

Sue

Grandma Bonnie

It's beautiful fabric and I'm so glad you made it 'usable' before you actually used it!

MacThayer

From one dedicated pre-washer to another: good job! Great catch! You're a real example of why pre-washing is such a necessity, no matter what caused that stain. And I'm going to get me some Synthropol!

Christine-

Where can I find 'color catchers'?

117becca

I find color catchers in the aisle w/ all the laundry soaps. Maybe near the Shout

sandy l

I get mine at the "big box" (Meijers, Wal-Mart) in the laundry section.

athenagwis

Wowee!!! I can't believe that first color catcher!! Glad it all worked out though, perhaps more so than running it was just excess dye, but either way that would make an interesting color to the final quilt once washed!! I am an avid non-prewasher, so I am happy you did happen to catch this one, though as I said before if it made my quilt purple, then I'd have a purple quilt. hehehe no worries on my end. I am very excited to play with this stripe though as I know it'll make lots of fun squares, and I hope you find the right project for it too!!

Rachel

vickimc

WOW!! what a great amount of dye came out. you did a great job. and yes, I think after all of that, it probably is a bleach stain. The receiver of this fabric is blessed by your work.

jaciqltznok

wow...what a testimonial for both products...though with the synthropol you really did not need the color catcher, any piece of white fabric would have done the same thing..it is color transfer!

Thanks for sharing!

Gail B

Wow. I always prewash my fabric as soon as it comes in the house & use color catchers. I am in a quandry now about buying a new washing machine - top loading or front loading. Can's use Synthropol in a front loader. My DIL also told me that the service tech told her not to use fabric sheets in the front loader. I use them & haven't had a problem. Any one else heard this?