Seeing is Believing - Pre-washing
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: southern IL
Posts: 883
Yesterday I had the same problem. It was a green tie dye fabric. I used Retayne four times and it is still bleeding. It is the perfect fabric for the borders in my quilt that I am donating. I have spent too much on fabric all ready with this quilt and I still have to quilt it. Bummer
#45
I always wash flannels because they shrink so much more than regular cottons and they will often bleed, especially the blues for some reason (red gets the bad rap, but I find that blues are worse). And with Batiks, you absolutely never know if the dyes are set well. I do not wash my other fabrics, I used to but never had a problem with bleeding so I stopped. I might regret it but I don't plan to wash my fabrics in the future, only the ones that are flannel, Batiks, hand dyed or of a lesser quality. I have heard of some embroidery flosses bleeding, though. Figure that one out!!
#46
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 43
I use them all the time. They are great. I have washed red with other things and the color catchers catch everything. I even tried red with white items and it didn't turn pink. Convinced my 90 year old Aunt that she could pre wash her materials with one of those and it worked rather than wash each color separately. I highly recommend them. I throw them in a load if there is even a hint of something possibly fading.
#49
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,660
I prewash all my fabric in at least warm water. Why? Because I want all the bleeding, shrinking, and possible fading to happen before I invest a huge amount of time cutting it and making it into a quilt. And really, I suspect any quilt that leaves my door will be going into a washer with warm or hot water in its future. I have no control of how the owner will care for it. So, I try to make sure it's toughened up a bit and won't self destruct once it leaves my house:>
Me, too.
I would be willing to bet fairly serious money that a Mom that has just had a baby blanket/quilt peed, puked or pooped on is NOT apt to run out for a color catcher or Retayne before throwing it in the washer. Hopefully, the item will be washed on cool or tepid water - less apt to set any stains. I don't know how to get Kool-aid stains out, though, once they are set.
The things that do strike terror in my heart as far as the quilts I've made are: bleach, burns, and tears.
#50
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,018
I wonder if salt would stop the bleeding in some of these excessive bleeders? That is adding the salt to the water. See, I really believe now that the mfgrs are using cheaper dyes. Also on a website for fabric I noticed width was not 44,42, but 40" another cutback.......
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05-07-2014 11:25 AM