Originally Posted by Gail B
What is a color catcher? Do you have to use it even if you have used Retayne?
A color catcher traps unset dye particles in the water so they don't have the chance to settle into other fabrics. They are widely available in the laundry section of grocery stores, Walmart, etc. They serve a similar function to Synthrapol.
I toss a color catcher in with regular laundry, as I have found that a lot of my daughter's clothing (especially black clothing) bleeds. I wash blacks alone as much as I can, but still toss a color catcher in the wash to try to prevent black from settling into any white or colored portions of the primarily black clothing.
I give all of my quilts a first wash in Synthrapol, just to ensure that any unset dye particles get rinsed out of the fabrics without settling into other fabrics. I might or might not also toss in a color catcher or two for added insurance. I think for any quilt it is a good idea to use one or both of these with a first wash.