I bought a bag of fabric today for $3.00. It had a lot of scrap pieces and I ended up with a small laundry basket of pretty calicos. Most are between 1/4-1/2 yard pieces.

I am not normally a pre-washer when it comes to my fabric, unless flannel or reds, deep blues, etc. But I would feel better if I washed these fabrics. They have a slight odor from where they were stored in a bag. How would be the best way to wash them?

I'd do it by hand in a large sink.

You might try just soaking them flat in a pan.

Thank you for that info. I just got a lot of 4X4s at a garage sale and was wondering how to wash them. Most of them are cotton and they have a funny smell to them. Hand washing will be my choice. Thank you.

If you don't want to hand wash them, I would suggest putting them in a lingerie bag and washing them that way. Be sure to use a color catcher or some other item to help avoid fabric bleeding.

Hand wash with soap and vinegar.

Soak them in small bundles in your kitchen sink with a small amount of dish soap, rinse and don't wring them out, instead squeeze the water out gently.

Spread them out on a clean sheet or towel and let them air dry, or where the sun will not sun bleach them out and press them out later. If they're a little damp, you can iron/press the wrinkles.

I did as suggested and hand-washed the fabric in my kitchen sink. Then I put them in washing machine and rinsed them on the gentle cycle. Since there were reds and blues, I put a color catcher in the water. They just finished and I now have a laundry basket full of pretty calicos to iron and trim threads. Some of the fabrics edges unravelled a tiny little.

I'd put them in a fine mesh lingerie bag, throw them in the washer with some vinegar and then in high heat on the dryer. Can't be too careful with bed-bugs.

Have fun ironing!