I am working on a charm quilt with 2 1/2 inch squares. I started cuttting squares out of my pre-washed stash at home. I needed more fabric (of course) so I ordered a 2 lb. bag of scraps from someone on etsy. The scraps I ordered are anywhere from a few inches to 1/4 yard but they are not washed. Here's my problem: Should I wash and then press 2 lbs of fabric scraps or should I just leave them unwashed and hope that they don't shrink more than the other squares? Seems like I should probably wash and press but boy does that sounds like a lot of work!

Sounds like too much work to me,

I do not prewash anything. I know the quilt police will hunt me down but I don't prewash:)

They may react differently when the quilt itself is washed. Some squares will shrink - some won't.

I would be more concerned about bleeding than shrinking. I rinse small scraps under the faucet and squeeze in an old white towel. I press them with a hot iron while they are still damp. Yep it is a lot of work, but so is making a quilt.

I have bought lots of bulk scraps from etsy and ebay, I have had to wash most due to odors etc. Just be prepared to get comfey, (My ironing board lowers so you can sit)put in a good movie or audio book and press away! I really don't mind pressing, I worked 4 hours last night pressing scraps I sent out today as a donation. It becomes quite meditative :)

I wash scraps if its from an unknown source. I would rather know before I sew if the fabrics has any issues such as bleeding or excessive shrinkage. I use a laundry bag.. the type used for delicates. But I do throw them in the sink with water to weed out the bleeders, before they go into the washer.

I do not prewash

Look at it this way, ironing them will really allow you to study they design and colors-I actually enjoy doing that with smaller pieces. I do, however, dread having to iron YARDS of material, say for backing!

If you wash a bag of scraps, you are likely to pull a big, wadded, matted, tangled thread mess out of your dryer when you're finished!!!! I would not wash them but instead spray and iron them. Good luck to you.

Yep they are tangled lol, but I kind of enjoy ironing them, as someone above said I don't mind pressing scraps however I do not like to iron large backing pieces either

I don't pre-wash either

When I get a new bundle of scraps, I put them in a large lingerie bag and throw them in the dryer along with a wet washcloth (or two, depending on how many scraps there are) that was dampened w/ water and a little bit of fabric softener then set the dryer on high. All at once, the wrinkles are gone, any odors are removed, and any little "visitors" are killed by heat. Just removed from the dryer and smooth out the pieces while still warm.

you could put them into a mesh laundry bag to pre-wash them or a pillow case tied closed- that would keep the tangling-fraying down.
it is a personal choice really - but any fabrics i buy from somewhere other than (new-goods) i would wash ..ie: from thrift stores, yard sales...and yes ebay ect- if they have been in someones-house/barn/garage it would be best to wash them regardless of shrinkage/bleeding thoughts----for safety sake--

I put them in a large bowl of warm water, let them soak, then wrap them in a towel for a hour or so. They are ready to iron at that point. Spreading them out on the towel so if they run, you'll know.

I wouldn't wash. They will ravel up like crazy. When you finish the quilt, wash it in cold water and you should be OK. JMHO

Ditto