Question for those of you who prewash fabric
10-11-2016, 07:22 AM
#31
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Belen, NM
Posts: 1,353
I wash all new fabrics by soaking them in hot water in the sink and hanging them to dry. I do it this way because I hate strings. I do a lot of recycling and those get washed in the washing machine before I cut them into fabric lengths. Everything 1/2 yard or less gets ironed and folded on a 5X5 cardboard. Larger sizes go on a 12X12 cardboard. Really big stuff is folded normally.
10-11-2016, 12:35 PM
#32
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Outside St. Louis
Posts: 38,181
I prewash all my fabrics as I bring them home. I always wash in machine and dry it. Before I start cutting I want to make sure it will be okay. I only buy fabrics that feel good and have not bought any inferior fabrics yet.
10-11-2016, 12:38 PM
#33
Power Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mableton, GA
Posts: 11,191
Originally Posted by RosaSharon
I use the hand-wash cycle without detergent. If you don't use detergent you can just put the fabric through the rinse cycle. I make little cuts along the narrow strip and it works wonders for eliminating the shredding. I do all of this mainly for shrinkage -- I have written this many times here, so ladies bear with me once again -- the shrinkage occurs because of the pounding in a hot dryer. Not in the temperature of the water in the washer. I consider shrinkage a real enemy of a quilt. It pulls agains the threads and wears much faster. Of course for you ladies who make those beautiful quilts that will never be laundered, no need to pre-wash. Mine are used hard!
10-11-2016, 01:19 PM
#34
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,387
Originally Posted by Jcarpentier
Hello. Is there a way to prewash fabric by hand or is it better by machine? Just curious. Thanks!
I usually soak my (like colored) fabrics in hot water in a bucket or a sink or a pan - before giving them a short, gentle wash by machine with very little detergent. They get rinsed in cold water and dried.
I can fake/set my old (er) washing machinei into just soaking, rinsing, or spinning.
10-12-2016, 07:03 PM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 421
I just throw the fabric in the washer and then throw it in the dryer. As one other person wrote,she doesn't baby it. Thats the same thing I do. Quilts are items that need washing,better to find out if the fabric doesn't wash well before using it.
10-13-2016, 12:29 PM
#36
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Georgia
Posts: 11,189
I use a plastic dish pan sitting in the kitchen sink. I have a HE washer and don't trust that there would be enough water in the tub to wash the fabric evenly. The plastic tub method also allows me to rinse as many times as needed.
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