Prewashing questions

Not to worry, Kim! I'll Fed Ex my laundry up to you. LOL PAT in Virginia

Often I just wash small pieces in the bathroom sink and use the liquid hand soap, or dishwashing soap, instead of the usual liquid detergent. I use "hot to the touch" water and swish it around a few times, maybe let it soak a few minutes to make sure I have all the finish off the cloth, then rinse a couple of times. HTH Barbara in Florida

Touche! Unfortunately I'm sure it will be a very short-lived situation!

I am not a pre-washer. I like to launder quilts after they are complete. That said, Kim, I don't think a simple soak in hot water will thoroughly do the deed for you. You'll want some detergent so you can remove whatever chemicals are used to treat the fabrics and unspeakable stuff like rat poison from storage in a warehouse. There is no such thing as 'caught up' with the laundry. Don't you have a shower curtain, bedspread, or something that would benefit from going for a spin? Polly

I was considering tossing in the bedspread to get rid of the latest batch of dog hair. Then I usually feel guilting about not including the blanket, stripping the whole thing, etc. Maybe just this once it will be okay though. DH is getting a little tired of getting choked all night with the latest deposits. It is spring (sort of), after all

- dog hair is rampant. So yes, if I really think about it there is probably plenty of stuff that would like a spin!

Just get the bedspread and tenaciously avoid the 'as long as' syndrome. That syndrome begins 'as long as' the bedspread needs to be washed, I might as well do the blankets. And curtains. Need to wash the windows. The facings need painting. . . need to shampoo the carpet. Be very careful to remove the bedspread with your eyes closed and Walk Away. Polly

"Polly Esther" < wrote:

Kim wrote >I was considering tossing in the bedspread to get rid of the latest batch of dog hair. Then I usually feel guilting about not including the blanket, stripping the whole thing, etc. Maybe just this once it will be okay though. DH is getting a little tired of getting choked all night with the latest deposits. It is spring (sort of), after all

- dog hair is rampant. So yes, if I really think about it there is probably plenty of stuff that would like a spin!

the only color i pre-wash is Reds! anything else, and i'm too impatient to get started and finished to bother pre-washing.

amy in CNY

Ain't that the Truth!! The 'as long as' syndrome is a prime cause of lack of quilting time! To say nothing of wasting time on computer, but that's another post. ;) Pat

I'll keep the salad spinner in mind. Don't have one but I'm sure I can borrow one easily enough. I bit the bullet and 'found' some laundry. Got one batch in the dry and the next in the washer currently. Should be able to start slicing & dicing either later today or tomorrow.

Thanks for all the input. Just pretty much confirmed what I was thinking anyhow. But at least you all gave me permission to avoid the 'as long as' guilt free!

Kim in NJ

I like prewashing for a couple different reasons. A big one is my health. These fabrics are all coated with chemicals. And if I try to sew without prewashing my hands will pay the price. So I wash with a little soap and rinse. If you want to hand wash that's fine. I don't think you need to wash in hot water. I wash in what ever temp the final quilt will be washed in. If the colors are going to run I add a little vinegar to the wash to help set it. It is the dryer that shrinks stuff though, not the wash.

I usually d> I'm normally a pre-washer. One recent project, since I was getting

Generally, I'm not a prewasher. HOWEVER, I test the fabrics if I even think there is a possibility of color running.

How can I tell?

I've have had years of fabric fiddling. The cottons of my youth all ran. There is a feeling the fabric has that just screams, "this color is going to run." If I suspect it, I'll take a tiny piece, soak in very hot water for a few minutes and then place the scrap on a white cloth. I wring it out in the cloth and check carefully for any color. If there is color, either in the water or on the cloth, the whole things goes either:

Into a hot water soak--with some agitation or to the washer....if it only gets the hot water and looks good, I wring it out in a towel and iron it dry. That has been successful thus far.

I remember a piece of fabric that a friend wanted me to use in a quilt. I washed it five times until it no longer ran a bright obnoxious orange. It was faded but the color was stable!

I always wash quilts when I get them done. Then, I can see if there are any problems. Thus far, it has been OK. But, I tell people about the color grabbers at WalMart.

Last year I got a darling cotton jacket that had red, khaki and white. I was horrified to see red all over the lighter colors when I washed it. I thought it was trashed. So, I got some Rit Color Remover and washed it. I was thinking to dye it black or navy since I really like it. Astonishingly, the only thing that came out was the errant red. My jacket preserved.

I hope this helps......I have some fabrics still that I wouldn't touch without washing. Others, I don't even consider the need to wash.

Oh, any fabric from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh MUST be prewashed and treated......don't even bother with anything else. Their fabrics are not "set" well.

Bali batiks on the other hand, are already boiled and dried in the hot sun. I've never had a Bali run,

Hope this helps.

Happy quilting,

Lenore

People keep talking about reds being bad for bleeding, but IME it is always the greens that hemorrhage forever.

DH has never had pink socks, but he has wound up with pale green ones.

NightMist