I don't wash precuts -too difficult and not recommended by the manufacturers. For this quilt, though, I will be cutting yardage -four different Star Wars fabrics- plus Kona Cotton Solid Steel Gray, which will make up the backing, binding, and sashing. Because of the richness of the colors in the Star Wars fabrics, I've decided to go ahead, per another poster's advice, and use my regular fabric detergent. Thank you for your advice!

look at Retayne for keeping colors bright and strong

I wash the fabrics just like I do regular fabrics. Darks and lights with regular detergent.
I have a fear of shrinkage, so always pre-wash and dry my yardage.

Watson

I have never used special quilt soap and don't know many who do. I use Tide or All Free and Clear pods for all my laundry including quilts. Use Shout Color Catchers the first time you wash your quilt. I pretest for bleeding by putting a snip of the fabric in a cup of hot water. I then rub it on a piece of white cotton fabric. If no color is present then it's fine. If color rubs off on the white fabric I don't use it and I don't try to wash it a dozen times to get it from bleeding.

I make my quilts as "utility" quilts, meaning I expect them to be used and loved and washed. Since I have no control over what others do, they have to be able to withstand regular detergent.

Depending on the intensity of color saturation and contrast, I may decide to prewash. Most often, I end up not prewashing and tossing 4-5 color catchers in the laundry with the finished quilt. So far, so good.

I am with Onebyone, I wash my fabric with my regular laundry detergent. I use warm water (don't know anyone that uses hot when washing colored items anymore) and I do throw in Color Catchers if there are different colors. Since I found Color Catchers at Big Lots for $3 a box of 54 they get used a lot. Since my great-nephew is a big Star Wars fan I have made quilts and pillow cases for him and none of the fabric ran. The main reason I prewash is to remove the chemicals from the fabrics, they destroy my fingers and finger nails.

I rarely pre-wash--but I always pre-test! I take a slip of white paper and rub REALLY hard on the fabric, especially if the color is dark or looks heavily dyed. If ANY color shows on the paper, then I will just wash, cold water/short cycle/regular detergent. Otherwise I like the fabric to retain it's sizing which makes it easier to cut and handle without fraying (and I don't have allergies to the sizing, etc).
Then, the first time I wash the completed quilted I will use cold water, Woolite or Orvus or quilt soap, and always throw in 2-4 Color Catchers (depending on quilt size).


As far as shrinkage is concerned, I put any washed fabric into the dryer for a short, mostly dry, cycle and pull out and use my steam iron to dry it completely--gets the wrinkles out and will shrink it at same time.

When I prewash fabric I use my regular detergent and a regular cycle on the washer and dryer. I don't know why you would need to purchase something different. I've been laundering my fabrics and finished quilts for 40+ years, sometimes I might use a short wash cycle but I've always used my regular detergent. If it's ( smelly) fabric I sometimes add vinegar to the wash cycle to help get rid of the odors.

I do wash my quilts in Orvis. But I buy the big plastic container of Orvis and use it for my delicate clothes also. The quilts I'm giving to other get washed in regular detergent with color catchers. I figure that the recipients will probably wash it in regular detergent so I it that way also.

Unless the fabric is really smelly, I don't prewash. After quilting I wash with my regular detergent on the regular/ normal cycle in my washer and throw in a few color catchers. So far, so good.

Smelly fabrics get pre-washed same way and thrown in dryer. If that doesn't get the smell out, they get run through a quick wash cycle with detergent and hung out to dry in the sun. For this method I fold it in half right sides together before hanging to prevent fading. I once had a fabric that was so stinky (smelled like cat pee, but was fresh from the printer so must have been the inks) that it took 3 days of hanging outside in direct sunlight to get rid of the smell. But it was a fabulous fabric at a very reduced price due to the smell, so worth going through the trouble.

Rob