Prewashing Flannel
 

I'm prewashing flannel for a rag quilt. I did a search on the Board but couldn't find an answer. Should I put a Bounce sheet in the dryer?

I don't typically use any softeners when prewashing fabric regardless of content. I do wash all of my quilts before gifting/using and will use softener then. IMO, no need to waste the softener on the cutting/construction phase of the quilt.

Recently finished a t-shirt quilt with a flannel backing. You bet, I washed it first and used a softener sheet.

It is strictly up to you and how you prefer to wash cotton items. The only advantage is to keep the wrinkles from being as hard set and easier to press out before you cut. When I do laundry I do use a half sheet of Bounce in the dryer. I do not know if this next comment is applicable to making a rag quilt; but, when I use flannel on the back of a quilt I pre-wash it in hot water twice before I use it because flannel can shrink 4 or 5 percent.

I never thought of this before. I always keep forgetting to put the sheet in the dryer. I never forget to put in a color catcher in the wash.

I am allergic to fragrance, so I never use softeners. I like those plastic balls with the bumps on them in the dryer -- that soften without chemicals.

I don't use a dryer sheet when I prewash but I do use a wash cloth that I wet, wring and dampen a little with white distilled vinegar. No residue from dryer sheets but softens a little. I wash flannel couple times in hot water then throw into a hot dryer. When I use dryer sheets I use Seventh Generation. Perfume and dye free. One half sheet will do 3 large loads.

i dont put dryer sheets in dryer when i dry fabric juisy me

I don't use any softeners on my fabrics when pre-washing. Partially because most of my fabric goes into the stash and I never know when I'm going to want to do something like adhere freezer paper to it or paint it. I definitely don't want to have to re-wash anything I've pre-washed!

I also wanted to mention - flannel, I pre-wash TWICE, if not three times. It can shrink so much and loose so much "fuzz", and sometimes flannel isn't that great quality but I can't really tell until the second or third washing. If the flannel still looks and feels good after 2-3 pre-washes, I'm confident it's the good stuff.

I'm usually using it for quilt backing, though, where there will be a big expanse of it and any pilling or loss of nap will be really noticeable. In a rag quilt, I think you can get away with a bit more.