When to prewash?

[mamavegan]

Do you prewash your fabrics right when you get them, regardless of what you'll be using them for? Or do you wait and see?

I have some fabric that I bought to make a fabric storage basket. Should I prewash it or just go straight to ironing and cutting? One fabric is a linen/cotton blend and the lining is cotton. I guess it shouldn't matter much since I'm not planning to wash this other than some spot cleaning as needed. Right?

[sewchris2642]

I always serge the raw edges and prewash all my fabrics. That way, no matter what, I always know that the fabric is safe to use regardless of what I end up using it for. And you never know but that fabric storage basket just might end up in the wash.

Also prewashing takes whatever chemicals that the manufacturer put on the fabric (sizing, formaldehyde and/or other chemicals to repel bugs, excess dye, etc.). All of which can affect your sewing machine and needle. Not to mention your hands.

[mamavegan]

Thanks so much, Chris! I thought about the latter part that you mentioned not long after I posted and decided to go ahead and wash them. I wasn't aware of the formaldehyde, though - ack! That reinforces my decision to get organic fabric for my toddler's bedding. I wish more cute fabrics were organic - especially the japanese ones.

It will be great to have all my fabrics prewashed, ironed, and ready to go! The serging idea is a reat one, but I'm without a serger for now.

[mama_daba]

i prewash my fabric as soon as i think of it so that when i get an urg to sew or suddenly have time to sew the fabric is ready. i usually wash cotton twice and linen three times

[mamavegan]

Oh, I didn't think of washing it more than once. Hmm. I wonder if vinegar would help it for some reason.

[sewchris2642]

Originally Posted by mamavegan

Thanks so much, Chris! I thought about the latter part that you mentioned not long after I posted and decided to go ahead and wash them. I wasn't aware of the formaldehyde, though - ack! That reinforces my decision to get organic fabric for my toddler's bedding. I wish more cute fabrics were organic - especially the japanese ones.

It will be great to have all my fabrics prewashed, ironed, and ready to go! The serging idea is a reat one, but I'm without a serger for now.

There is still a chance that the organic fabric you buy still will have formaldehyde or other pesticides on it because it's added after the fabric is woven. The chemicals are added to the fabric to prevent insect damage during storing in warehouses and in transit by boat, train, or truck. Since I prewash as I buy fabric, the fabric is usually just included in the normal wash with soap so that all the chemicals, including sizing, is removed. Natural fiber fabrics will also shrink the first time you wash them. It's best that whatever shrinking there is is done before the fabric is cut into. Linen will also soften up after washing.

I serge the edges so that the cut edges don't ravel too badly during washing and drying. It also serves as a reminder that the fabric has already been prewashed. Before I got my first serger, I didn't do anything to the cut edges. I just cut off all the tangled threads that raveled.

[sewchris2642]

Vinegar will soften the linen and cotton and will make sure that all the soap is removed from the fabric. I add vinegar to the towels once a month to strip the soap from them. Joy and I use vinegar and borax to the cloth diapers in every wash. Except when we run out.

[Mihelinka]

I try to wash when i buy otherwise i forget

[churndash]

I don't prewash. I mainly quilt, and I find the pieces are easier to cut and piece when they still have the sizing.

[cristeen]

I prewash everything when it comes into the house. It doesn't go into my sewing room until it's been through the laundry room.

The one exception to that is going to be prefold fabric, which you want to have shrink AFTER you sew it.

[KaraBoo]

I prewash as soon as I get the fabrics. My cats love sitting on the lump of fabrics while they are warm from the dryer. And my dd loves cutting the strings and tangles.

[Roxy2007]

i prewash all my fabric before cutting them into anything. i do serge to prevent fraying and for more delicate stuff like embroidered linen, i serge it to make a tube and wash it wrong side out to prevent snags..works well for me.

[AlwaysByMySide]

I prewash everything at least once...sometimes two or three times, depending on what type of fabric it is.

[mamavegan]

Which do you do more than once? I have some linen/cotton blends. Should they be washed more?

[AlwaysByMySide]

Anything bamboo I wash at least twice, because they tend to have some shrinkage. Flannel I wash on hot/dry on hot three times, which is probably overkill, but I really hate making flannel pants and having them turn into capris.

My general rule is if cotton is involved, it has to be washed on hot at least once. I would imagine that a linen/cotton blend would be fine washed just once.

[sewcool]

no, unless they came from a yardsale or are smelly i dont

[OkiMom]

You are suppose to prewash?? Umm, I never have. Maybe thats why the pants a friend made for DD fell apart.. Im halfway done with a dress (all I have to do is add the zipper and panel for the bottom) should i wash it now or just finish it and remember to wash any other fabrics I get later?

Im going to go to a fabric store out in town this weekend to pick up some fabric so Ill try to remember to wash it before hand. However, I can't read the signs here (I live in Japan but I don't talk/read Japanese) and Im not good at telling apart fabric unless its obvious (like velvet is obvious to me) so should i just wash all the fabric I get twice or just once?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by OkiMom

Im going to go to a fabric store out in town this weekend to pick up some fabric so Ill try to remember to wash it before hand. However, I can't read the signs here (I live in Japan but I don't talk/read Japanese) and Im not good at telling apart fabric unless its obvious (like velvet is obvious to me) so should i just wash all the fabric I get twice or just once?

If you're making clothing, then I'd definitely be sure to prewash before cutting. I remember talking to a beginner sewer a few years back and he'd bought a bunch of fabric and made himself a whole bunch of clothes to be highly distraught the first time he washed them and they all shrank to be unwearable.

Most things do fine on a single hot wash/hot dry. If you have to hang dry then I'd do at least two hot washes.

[Porcelain Interior]

I only prewash for clothing items.

For quilts I want maximum shrinkage AFTER the quilt is quilted. I love that puckered old look.

[OkiMom]

Originally Posted by cristeen

If you're making clothing, then I'd definitely be sure to prewash before cutting. I remember talking to a beginner sewer a few years back and he'd bought a bunch of fabric and made himself a whole bunch of clothes to be highly distraught the first time he washed them and they all shrank to be unwearable.

Most things do fine on a single hot wash/hot dry. If you have to hang dry then I'd do at least two hot washes.

Thanks! I didn't end up getting anything because I wanted to double check the patterns I wanted to make. They had signs in English as well as Japanese so I could tell what things were. They did have some neat patterns as well, I got one to look at and see if I could figure it out with the language barrier and it seems to be really well illustrated