I find that if I don't put too much in my machine at a time...say small to medium...not medium, but on the small side of medium...I don't get a lot of tangling, so the fabric is not pulled and threads are not stretched and broken on the edges as much.
You can also clip off the corners and it helps a lot.
Sorry it got wet, but good thing you discovered it! I feel for you.
Happy laundering...hugs ;)