Quilting – To Pre-wash Fabric or Not

Front loading washing machine image — Yes to prewashing!

You SHOULD pre-wash your fabric - think of prewashing as insurance on the future of your quilt!

You should (probably) pre-wash fabrics! You put all that work into a quilt that might intentionally or unintentionally be exposed to water. Yes, it creates slightly more work up front, but prewashing (washing fabrics before sewing with them) is insurance on the future of your quilt! You will never regret prewashing your fabrics when the quilt is done.

If you pre-wash some of your fabric for a given quilt, consider prewashing all of it. Like with many things in life, this is not a rule, just a recommendation. Prewashing all of the fabric ensures you start at the same point for shrinkage after you finish quilting and wash the final quilt.

If you’re prewashing, consider buying just a smidge more fabric than the pattern calls for to account for shrinkage and fraying.

Many factors affect your prewashing decision. The summary below is based on several online articles, manufacturer guidelines, chapters in books, and YouTube videos (see Reference section).

There are no hard & fast rules with art, so do what feels right for you.

Many factors influence whether or not fabric bleeds.

FABRIC QUALITY. Higher-quality fabric is less likely to bleed. A quilting shop is more likely to sell higher-quality fabrics than a big box store.

Words quality, dyeing process and local water in image format — Many factors affect fabric bleeding

If you thrift fabric of unknown origin, always pre-wash it!

DYEING TECHNIQUE. Some fabrics just run - reds, very saturated colors, hand-dyed, batiks, etc. If you are combining these fabrics with very light fabrics, always pre-wash the darker and more saturated fabrics.

LOCAL WATER. The chemical composition of your local water and the pH level directly impact the rate at which fabrics bleed dye, a factor beyond your control. The local water can also affect how detergents work. Other quilters in your area are your best resource regarding the impact of the local water on fabric bleeding.

BLEED TEST RESULTS. Cut a square of fabric that might bleed and baste it to a piece of white fabric. Soak in warm water or machine wash. If the color bleeds in this colorfastness test, it will bleed in the quilt and you should prewash the fabric.

The project impacts the prewashing decision.

Watercolor image of quilt, not a real quilt — How will your finished project be used?

PROJECT'S COLOR PALETTE. If you are quilting with a palette that is all the same saturation (ie: all darks, all reds, all light colors) then prewashing might not be necessary, but insurance is never a bad thing.

Anytime you are usng white or cream with more saturated colors, you should pre-wash the darker, more saturated colors.

PRECUTS. Prewashing precuts (fat quarters, charms, jellyrolls, etc) will result in smaller pieces and frayed edges. Some folks recommend serging edges before prewashing precuts, but I disagree. Serger thread is usually polyester and is not likely to shrink. Running a straight stitch or zigzag along the edge with cotton thread is an option, but is time consuming. Frayed edges can easily be snipped off after prewashing.

Place precuts in a lingerie bag before putting them in the washing machine.

INTENDED USE OF FINAL PROJECT. If you are making a quilt that will be used for bedding, prewashing is a great first step. The reality is the quilt will eventually be washed and bleeding could occur. If you are making a wall hanging or a pillow that will not be used daily, skip the wash and use a fabric attachment on your vacuum to clean. But also, unexpected things (like a leaky ceiling) happen!

Here’s how to prewash fabrics.

See the Resources section for links to suggested products.

stacks of cut fabric — Prewash the fabric

SORT. Sort fabric by color families (blues, purples, creams/whites, etc).
WASH. Wash in batches based on how the fabric might bleed. For example, if you are not concerned about a purple bleeding onto a navy… wash them together. Place small precuts in a lingerie bag. Wash on cold or warm - this depends on the local water conditions and I recommend just picking one and sticking with it. Cold is always the safest bet. Choose your detergent. You should always opt for a phosphate-free detergent because phosphates encourage dye release/bleed. Choose a laundry detergent that is gentle with as few ingredients as possible. I have successfully been using Cleancult laundry detergent sheets. Others recommend Heritage Park All-Purpose Gentle detergent. A lot of resources say to wash your fabric using dish soap (e.g., Ivory) in the washing machine. Consumer Reports and other home improvement websites strongly recommend against using dish soap in today’s High Efficiency (HE), front-load washing machines. Therefore, I am not recommending dish soap. Add color catchers to the load. There is no limit to the number of color catchers you can add, but there is also no reason to go crazy here. One hard and fast rule for color catchers - do not reuse them. They are a single-use item. The chemicals that catch the color are only good for one wash. Optional step if you are fairly confident the fabric will bleed… add Retayne. Retayne is a fixative. It bonds dyes to the fabric which sets the color on the fabrics that might bleed. Add 1 Tablespoon for up to 1 yard of fabric or follow the instructions on the bottle for larger loads. Retayne should ONLY be used in loads consisting of LIKE colors and should NEVER be used on a finished quilt. Some recommendations say that vinegar will set the dye, but ‘experiments’ do not support this idea, so I am not recommending vinegar.
REPEAT IF NEEDED. If the color catcher catches color, repeat the washing process.
LIGHTER FABRICS THAT WON’T BLEED. For lighter fabrics that are not likely to bleed, use the same process without the color catchers and Retayne.
DRY. Once the color catcher stops catching color, dry the fabric on low to medium heat. The fabric can be removed from the dyer when it is slightly damp and line dried the rest of the way.
IRON. Iron your pieces after they dry. If you want them to be crisp and stiffer, consider using Mary Ellen Products Best Press or Easy Press Fabric Treatment by Acorn Precision Piecing to restore some of that “unwashed” feeling.
SIGH! That was a fair amount of prep, but hopefully, the work upfront helps you sleep better!

Washing the finished quilt after prewashing the fabric

You prewashed your fabric, pieced the top, quilted it, and it’s all done! 🥳 As a final step in the quilting process, consider washing the finished quilt - especially if you plan to use it for bedding or are gifting it.

Finished quilts may be hand-washed or machine-washed on a gentle cycle.

Sketch of clothesline with a few quilts hanging on it — The quilt is finished - wash it before using/gifting

WASH. Wash using a cold, gentle cycle. Choose your detergent. You should always opt for a phosphate-free detergent because phosphates encourage dye release/bleed. Choose a laundry detergent that is gentle with as few ingredients as possible. I have successfully been using Cleancult laundry detergent sheets. Others recommend Heritage Park All-Purpose Gentle detergent. Add color catchers to the load. There is no limit to the number of color catchers you can add, this is the time to add extra! One hard and fast rule for color catchers - do not reuse them. They are a single-use item. The chemicals that catch the color are only good for one wash. Optional step. Following the instructions on the label, add Synthrapol. Synthrapol is a surfactant that washes out excess dyes. Never use Retayne on a finished quilt. The Synthrapol in this final wash is just an extra insurance policy since it will also catch any dyes released in the final wash.
DRY. The best way to dry a finished quilt is to air dry it. If you need to use the dryer, use a low heat setting until it is damp, and then air dry the rest of the way.

✨PRO TIP FOR GIFTING ✨ When gifting a quilt, consider gifting care instructions and a few color catchers with the quilt.

Washing a finished quilt when fabric was not prewashed

Follow the process above for washing and drying a finished quilt with fabric that was prewashed. AND… Use many color catchers and strongly consider adding the Synthrapol, if the fabric is dark, red, or a highly saturated bright.

First aid symbols — Treat a quilt that bled after washing

First aid for a finished quilt that bled after the first wash.

If a washed quilt bled, do not dry it. To address the bleeding, do the Dawn dishwashing soap method:

Fill a bathtub with hot water (~140°F)
Add 1 cup of Dawn dishwashing detergent (any kind of Dawn will work)
Add smaller amounts of Dawn in subsequent soakings for the same quilt
Fully submerge the quilt (using plastic bins filled with water to weight the quilt down if necessary)
Soak for 10-12 hours minimum (you can get in two soakings a day)

Rinse and repeat the process until the bath water is clear. Because the quilt will hold onto the Dawn from the first soaking, add smaller amounts with each subsequent soaking. It will likely take multiple soakings to resolve the bleeding.

After the bathtub water is clear, wash the quilt in the washing machine:

Wash the quilt on cold with no detergent.
Add a few color catchers to the first wash
The quilt will have a lot of Dawn soap in it at this point and might need to be washed in the washing machine with no detergent a couple of times to get the suds out.
As an optional step, follow the instructions on the label and add Synthrapol to the final wash.