Pre-washing fabric question
#11
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Eastern Washington
Posts: 29,525
For a great alternative to fabric softener, use this:
a small amount of vinegar in the rinse water. Just regular white vinegar. No joke! Your fabrics/laundry do not smell! And the vinegar helps with static too.
I use a Downy ball, and put my vinegar in that. Have done it that way for a long time! :)
a small amount of vinegar in the rinse water. Just regular white vinegar. No joke! Your fabrics/laundry do not smell! And the vinegar helps with static too.
I use a Downy ball, and put my vinegar in that. Have done it that way for a long time! :)
#12
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 12,861
it depends... if you are going to use any fusable product or starch you should not add fabric softener.
when prewashing i never add fabric softener, i do add it when i wash the finished quilt. but never when prewashing, in fact when i prewash i run the fabric through the cycles twice, first with a small amount of detergent the second time without so i know there is nothing left in the fabric that may cause a problem no matter what i'm going to do...be it using a fusable or dyeing the fabric.
when prewashing i never add fabric softener, i do add it when i wash the finished quilt. but never when prewashing, in fact when i prewash i run the fabric through the cycles twice, first with a small amount of detergent the second time without so i know there is nothing left in the fabric that may cause a problem no matter what i'm going to do...be it using a fusable or dyeing the fabric.
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Martinsville, Indiana
Posts: 1,430
For the dryer, I got some blue balls with spikes on them, (or that's what they look like). I got them at Bed Bath & Beyond or some where like that, and then found them at Walmart. My Walmart has them for about $5.00 right now. I have 2 sets of 2 in my dryer, and they work well to keep the static away.
Make sure the balls are soft, and not hard as a rock!! A pair that I first got at Walmart got quickly taken back and exchanged. They went THUMP, THUMP,THUMP in my dryer and I couldn't stand the noise. The soft ones are quiet.
Make sure the balls are soft, and not hard as a rock!! A pair that I first got at Walmart got quickly taken back and exchanged. They went THUMP, THUMP,THUMP in my dryer and I couldn't stand the noise. The soft ones are quiet.
#15
I don't use softner because I want them to be stiff when I cut. Static isn't a problem because of starching and pressing. I don't press fabric until I'm ready to cut. When I bring a new haul in, I wash it, fold it and stash it until an inspiration.
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,453
i don't prewash cotton fabric..never had a problem. i only prewash flannel because it shrinks more than cotton.
i had wash/soak and air dry on a towel,batiks..because i have had the colors run.
i wash after the quilt is all done, before it leaves the house..
i had wash/soak and air dry on a towel,batiks..because i have had the colors run.
i wash after the quilt is all done, before it leaves the house..
#17
Originally Posted by watterstide
i don't prewash cotton fabric..never had a problem. i only prewash flannel because it shrinks more than cotton.
i had wash/soak and air dry on a towel,batiks..because i have had the colors run.
i wash after the quilt is all done, before it leaves the house..
i had wash/soak and air dry on a towel,batiks..because i have had the colors run.
i wash after the quilt is all done, before it leaves the house..
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,453
Originally Posted by MaxineB
Originally Posted by watterstide
i don't prewash cotton fabric..never had a problem. i only prewash flannel because it shrinks more than cotton.
i had wash/soak and air dry on a towel,batiks..because i have had the colors run.
i wash after the quilt is all done, before it leaves the house..
i had wash/soak and air dry on a towel,batiks..because i have had the colors run.
i wash after the quilt is all done, before it leaves the house..
cotton and flannel shrink differently, with flannel being the most ..sometimes on baby quilts i mix cotton and flannel.
and of course, this is just my humble opinion!
i used to wash all my fabric..then spend a day pressing it..when i first started quilting. not anymore. i think the colors in fabrics are made differently than they used to be.
occasionally i use a color catcher in the wash with a quilt..not very often.
if your not sure if the color will run, wash it. better safe than sorry. but me personally, no problems.
and I NEVER wash nickles/pre-packaged charms or jelly rolls.
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