by | Nov 21, 2019 | Article, Blog, How To

Why you should pre-wash your fabrics

I am a big advocate to pre-wash your fabrics, even for items that are not worn and here are my reasons why:

  • Some fabrics tend to shrink once they are washed. Pre-washing prevents your finished garment from shrinking and warping. Hence you won’t end up giving the garment you spend so much time making to someone of a smaller size.
  • If you choose to combine different types of fabrics in the garment, fabrics shrink at different levels. As a result, you could end up if with a final product that has an uneven finish
  • This one is important, especially with linens and dyed not printed fabrics, they tend to bleed. Therefore, if you make a beautiful product that is white and red, you could end up with pink instead of white.
  • Some Fabrics like cotton may be penetrated with starch to make them stiff and shiny. Hence the Pre-wash helps remove said additives and shows the real texture of the fabrics and easier to handle.
  • You never know where these fabrics have been stored in warehouses. Which could mean that there are critters and such that put souvenirs in the fabrics? So Pre-wash is a good idea to get rid of any unwanted germs.

Why wash fabrics

 

 

Some tips for pre-washing
  • I recommend washing the fabrics at the same settings as you would when the project is finished, that will prevent further shrinkage.
  • Some people like to zig-zag the edges to avoid fraying (I am not one of them)
  • Delicate fabrics may be better off to hand wash or delicate cycle and line dry, that prevents the fabrics from getting damaged.
  • Knitted wool should be washed by hand in cold water (to prevent felting and shrinking), dry flat.
  • After Pre-Washing, iron your fabric, it will be so much easier to cut.

I hope this tips help you and make your decision to wash your fabrics first easier.

Happy Sewing!

 

 

 

2 Comments

  1. Beth

    Agreed. I’m big on washing everything after it’s been in the stores and factories, really. I second the impulse to get rid of all the germs! lol

    Reply

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