Pre-Wash or Not? 🤔 A Quilter's Guide to Prevent Fabric Bleeding!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

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[@amyberg1413]

Thank you Mary for all the important info you provide. I always learn something new and I've been sewing/quilting for 40+ years!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thank you for your kind words and for watching!

[@meacadwell]

Thank you for getting this info out there about the "Great Fabric Washing Debate", it's helpful. And, as you said, it can be any fabric that bleeds, even high quality fabrics. Other quilting sites I've been to say it's the colors red and black that have the biggest colorfast problems. Personally, I think it's any fabric that is other than white or natural, lol. I've been quilting close to ten years now and my method is this (that I swiped from another quilting site but it's worked great for me): Wash fabric like you would clothing, on a regular cycle, using a free and clear detergent (no fabric softener), hot water (yes I said hot), and a couple of fabric catchers (no dryer sheets). Then dry fully. This removes the finishing on the fabric, all extra dye, and any insect eggs that might have hitchhiked on the fabric (and protecting the rest of my fabric stash). Doing this can shrink the fabric a little bit so I purchase a little more than needed for my projects. If you want to wash precuts (fat quarters or jelly rolls), put them in a zippered laundry mesh bag (which helps prevent tangling and fraying). Use the same method mentioned above except in a sink or bucket with warm water (use warm to prevent shrinkage). I have a sink plunger dedicated to washing precut fabric and handwash only garments. Agitate the plunger up and down on the mesh bag and agitate during the rinse as well. I recommend air drying precuts to help prevent shrinkage. I've easily made over 50 quilts and not had one instance of fabric bleed in my finished quilts using these methods. And I normally incorporate the colors known to bleed most into my creations, many times with the darkest colors as the background.

[@marinaabad4995]

Yes, hot and regular dryer. Wjhy? Even though you provide laundering instruction for gifted quilts, unless you know the person's laundering habits, it will probably be washed hot or war, and in a hot dryer. So treat your fabrics that way. Charity quilts often get washed in hot water and hot dryer. Such as nursing homes, hospitals, and foster care. No gentle treatment of the quilt. I have read on some blogs, that perhaps charity quilts should use polycotton fabric (oh my, heretical), polyester thread, and polyester batting. This makes the quilts to charity durable through laundering and keep on giving joy to the receiver.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing!

[@CraftAddictedWendy]

I do the exact same thing and put precuts in a laundry bag - just big enough to fit the fabric because too much room lets the fabric wrestle around too much and fray a ton. I’ve bought a ton of them at the Dollar Tree. I rarely use jelly rolls because of the fraying. And I also do the hot wash and dry for anything that will be washed in the future (usually not on wall hangings).

[@cud007]

Great advice, I do exactly the same and have not had any issues with finished quilts. Some fabrics have needed up to four hot washes to get the surplus dye out. I’ll keep washing the fabric until my colour catches are very pale. New colour catches each new wash cycle. It gives me piece of mind knowing the recipient can do what they wish with the quilt.

[@meacadwell]

@@cud007 Perfectly said!

[@jackieclark8978]

I have a bleeding problem with dark blue. I first check for color in the sink, hot water. If it is slighte I can just put it in a rinse and spin…dry as usual. If the fabric is really bleeding, I will heat vinegar and soak until water is cool, rinse and spin . This usually works the first time. I’ve been doing this for years.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing Jackie! And thanks for watching!

[@ginaolive4853]

I love the pinking blade suggestion!! Better yet, bring your pinking rotary cutter to the store when buying your fabric and have them use it to cut- saves you time AND fabric loss!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

OOH...that's a great idea!!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@megharmon2298]

I really enjoy your videos. I think one reason is because you are open to discussing points brought up in the comments.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thank you for watching!

[@margaretcummings1284]

Most of my gifted quilts are baby quilts. So when I give them, I always give a box of Color Catchers with them. I even had some inexpensive red flannel that bled some when I washed it before I gifted it, but it didn’t bleed on to the rest of the quilt because I included Color Catchers in that first wash.. You can bet that I gave a box of Color Catchers with that quilt and explained to not wash it with other things until the Color Catchers came out without any dye in them! I always wash my quilts before gifting them. I never prewash my fabrics and the above method has worked so far. I will try the Retayne though. That sounds like a good idea. Thank you for all your tips & tricks. I really love your videos.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Great suggestions and thanks for watching!

[@kimlytle9510]

1) I have also found that dark blues and dark purples can bleed. 2) I made a wedding quilt with Civil War fabrics and found that one or 2 fabrics bled. I soaked the finished quilt 3 times using color catchers and all of the "stray" dye disappeared. 3) Even if an item bled and was not caught before it was put in the dryer, you may be able to remove some / most of the bleeding by putting the item back into the washer with color catchers. This doesn't always work, but sometimes it does.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for the information and thanks for watching!

[@dsch7080]

Some years ago my lime green border bled into my light coloured backing. Frustrated as I was, I cut off 3,5 inches of the 5 inch green border, added a new less treacherous border, topped the miscoloured back with a new backing, added new binding and the beautiful apple core quilt is still in use. Since then I do prewash.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing! So glad you fixed the problem and still continue to use and love your quilt!

[@HelenMurrell-k7k]

What a good teacher! Thank you for your videos. Very clear instructions.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@genawalter401]

A friend of mine washed and dried her quilt like you did, not realizing that color had run. She washed it again with Oxyclean and most of it came out. Synthrapol is also another product that can be used on a quilt after colors have run.

[@KathyM-c6i]

Good to know! Thanks :)

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing! Sadly, mine did not come out.

[@CraftAddictedWendy]

I’m in the “prewash, starch & iron before cutting” club for anything that will be washed in the future. My projects are almost all gifts and I can’t control how the items will be washed by the recipients. So for me, it’s a hot water wash with a color catcher (if it comes out with color, I wash again), then hot dryer dry before starting any projects. Batiks are famous for bleeding so some of those take 5 or 6 washes. I sometimes use Retayne soaks for Batiks, but that will wash out and the fabrics will then bleed. I only use Batiks for people who I know will follow my washing instructions!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for your comments!

[@dianegoodwin9784]

Thankyou for sharing your video great advice,❤

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@quiltgirl0731]

Thank you Mary for this wonderful information. I especially liked the tip about trimming edges of fabric with pinking shears before washing! Brilliant! Those knotted and frayed edges always drove me crazy but not anymore 😊

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@susanlapierre-jones6009]

I am not a pre-washer. I made my granddaughter a red and white quilt. I washed with 1 cup table salt, dissolved in COOL water ( in FL there is NO such thing as COLD water from the tap.) 1/4 cup detergent, 3-4 color catchers and 3/4 cup of white vinegar in the final COOL rinse, ( I use my fabric softener dispenser.) There was no running!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thank you for sharing!

[@royalladybug30]

I almost always prewash. Calculated my backing based on what my needs without thinking about the shrinkage. Now torn between washing or not.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Totally a personal preference. Every quilter has their own way of approaching this subject. Good Luck and thanks for watching!

[@LauraSup]

Thank you for all the great suggestions!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@KathyM-c6i]

Red, green and (in my experience) black. Black fabrics bleed aLOT of deep purple. When my kids were growing up, I bought a 3-sectioned laundry cart. I taught them to sort the laundry 1) lights, 2) darks, and 3) red/black/green. I wasn't quilting back then, but that laundry sorting habit has sure carried over and saved many of the multitude of quilts I've created in the past several years :) Thanks, Mary. I did not think of pinking the fabric before washing, and will try that. I'd also never heard of Retayne.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You're welcome and thanks for watching!

[@allikat1352]

Sometimes I will prewash red or navy yardage, but only if I don't trust the brand. I have never had issues with Moda and the better QSQ fabrics. But Joanns is a different story. And I always use 3 color catchers in the first wash of the quilt. And if I don't wash the quilt, I pin a baggy with 6 color catchers and instructions to use 3 in each of the first 2 washes.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thank you for the information! Thanks for watching!

[@megharmon2298]

This does not have to do with prewash, but I just wanted to add it somewhere. When I am boxing corners on a bag, I use my 45° triangle ruler to help me measure the same distance to stitch on both sides. So if I am boxing using 2 1/2" on one side, I can do the same on the other. In the past, I would try to measure it with a ruler but did not fell my results wrre perfect. Then I tried folding the sides together after completing one and marking but I was not thrilled with that. Then I saw this template thing fir that purpose but I thought the triangle ruler could do the same thing and it dies. But it is great because I can put the tip right on the tip and measure backwards and I think it is very accurate. I also make sure I align the triangled fabric evenly so the bag sits squar. My family loves these big bags I make as beach, shopping or camping bags. I use interfacing and light batting between two layers and I use good strap material around whole bag. They are very sturdy.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Sounds like a great tip. Thanks for sharing!

[@ingridl5631]

Thank-you, Mary for another great video. I have used the color catchers before with great success, but I was not familiar with the other products. I'm going to rewatch the video and take a few notes. Thanks again. 😊

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@Marnie1026]

I rely on Synthrapol every time. When I get down to half a bottle, I reorder. It took care of fabric bleeding on a dried quilt

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for watching!

[@luluespinosa6135]

I know this video primarily regarding pre-washing fabric for quilting but I really enjoyed it because the best practices you shared will help me with pre-washing and minimize bleeding for other projects. I have a QUICK QUESTION, please. When pre-washing Outdoor Fabric before sewing it, can I follow the same process you described?

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Il not sure what you mean by outdoor fabric - could you give me an example!

[@megharmon2298]

Thank you Mary. I love all the tips you provide. I prewash everything, including and especially "gifted" material. I have allergies and this helps to get rid of "stuff" that may bother me. But I wash with soap and water. I have not had trouble with bleeding and I often wash the quilts before I give them away to also cut down on possible allergy stuff for the receiver so I would catch bleeding even if happens after I finish the quilt. Perhaps I have just been lucky!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing!

[@chi2tan]

What a wonderfully informative video. As always, I appreciate your thoroughness. I had a HUGE issue with some yellow/orange Kaufman batik. Luckily my background fabric was a simlar color so it wasnt affected nuch, but my quilting gloves and machine turned yellow!!!!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@michelelewis5836]

Thanks for the excellent video and great tips. I had a Christmas quilt that bled a lot (reds and greens of course), colour catchers didn’t get it all. I ended up soaking the quilt in the bathtub with Dawn original blue. You need a lot of hot water (at least 140 F) and I had to change the water twice until no colour remained. Worked great. I have had similar luck with a quilt that had been through the dryer (maybe it would work for yours?). Now I take the extra step of soaking my quilts in Retayne and have had no dye run issues. I like working with crisp fabric, so I don’t like to prewash.

[@CraftAddictedWendy]

Check the instructions on the Retayne bottle. Mine says a wash will remove its protection so the fabric is free to bleed. I use it with batik fabrics on projects that I can trust the recipient will follow my “cold wash & hang to dry” instructions!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thank you! Thanks for watching!

[@jmsva6914]

Thank you Mary

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You are so welcome!

[@sharonmangiardi]

I alway pre wash any fabric and also red 100 cotton yarn. I put the new yarn in a mesh bag . It does get tangled . but it is better than having the it bleed on a finish project

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for watching!

[@KiyomiY]

For me, Black has always been the offender. I did a rainbow quilt with a black backing once and after washing, the yellow was a solid green. And it wasn’t cheap fabric!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeane.2722]

Thx

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@cherylhughes8659]

Mary, If you prewash a red, can you use it with a fabric that was not prewashed?

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Ok - here's the long, drawn out answer...since I want to cover all the bases: Prewashing fabrics before sewing them into a quilt can help minimize distortion from shrinkage, but whether you need to prewash all the fabrics really depends. Different fabrics shrink at different rates. If you prewash only the red fabric and the other fabrics shrink more or less than the red fabric when the finished quilt is eventually washed, you might see some distortion in the overall quilt. So, for consistent results, it's probably best to prewash all the fabrics you plan to use if you're going to pre-wash one of the fabrics. So, to minimize distortion from shrinkage, it is generally recommended to prewash all the fabrics used in a quilt. I hope that makes sense.

[@socalgal007]

Shouldn’t you use only cold water when soaking and washing?

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Some say cold only while other say wash in hot water - since you may not know how the recipient will wash the finished quilt. As I said in the video - truly a personal preference. My thoughts on the subject are simply my preferences. Thanks for watching!

[@kathrynboseman5249]

I'm a pre-washer. It's just not worth the risk that one day the stars will align and ruin a quilt. I learned the hard way. I also don't like giving a gift that requires any special effort/instructions that will add to someones workload. The one thing that is rarely discussed in this kind of video has nothing to do with color bleed or quality. CHEMICALS! Color enhancers, sizing, etc...things added to fabric in processing are problematic. Skin is the biggest organ of your body, not only are you exposing yourself when handling fabric but as you cut fabric you are releasing and breathing chemical laden fibers into the air. I deep clean my sewing rooms every 3-4 months and in spite of regular dusting and vacuuming, I am always shocked by the buildup. I'm sure you've all experienced this as well. I have even begun wearing a mask when sewing and it has made a huge difference in what I thought were allergies!

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing your insight and thanks for watching!

[@dianeschwalm3855]

I never prewash. I use color catchers on first wash, or tell recipient receiving the quilt to use them. Preferences. Isn’t it nice that we all have our own way of doing things, and everyone is correct in their thinking.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for watching!

[@MarthaEast]

Serging will also keep fabric from fraying during pre-washing.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@marinaabad4995]

Dark blues also bleed a lot, even brand names.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing!

[@juliatepe5760]

I learned that the hard way😂

[@mikkischmidt3138]

I soak my fabric in a tub of water with vinegar and salt. This usually helps to set the dye.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for sharing!

[@margaretderen2082]

I serge edges prior to prewashing. I get the crinkly look with prewashed fabric quilts no matter what batting I use (cotton, cotton/poly, or wool).

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for watching!

[@SewMagic-FabricMagician]

Another great product……RetroWash.

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

That's for sharing!

[@karenwerts2331]

[@joyfulandmerryquilting]

Thanks for watching!