Question for those of you who prewash fabric
 

Hello. Is there a way to prewash fabric by hand or is it better by machine? Just curious. Thanks!

I have. I did it the same way as you would do delicate clothing.

I wash yardage in the washer and precuts by hand.

I just throw it in the washer with hot water and regular cycle and dry it on high. I want it to do whatever it's going to do before I use it in a quilt. I don't like to baby it.

I also throw a color catcher or two in the wash so I can see if there's any bleeding.

This is my method too, except in the rare case of using a precut, I wash by hand and air dry on a hangar to minimize fraying.

Thanks so much!

FQ or larger go in the washing machine. Anything smaller - which I generally don't purchase - I just don't bother.

I wash a lot of fabric, especially small pieces, in the bathroom sink.

I toss fabric into the washer when I bring it home ( if I'm going to prewash it) then into the dryer. I don't prewash everything, I prewash if a fabric feels funky, smells funky, is loosely woven or might bleed. I feel to deal with any of those issues the machine is needed. I do not prewash precuts, if I had one I worried might bleed I would check it ( by hand) if it was a bleeder I just wouldn't use it except in a project that would not be laundered.

If it is a lot of yardage, I cut it into smaller pieces in sizes that I need before washing it.