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Do you always use Retayne when prewashing batiks? I just read on SewBatiks.com that they have had excellent results prewashing in warm (not hot) water. I always have some fear that washing in HOT water will cause some degree of fading.

i have never used Retayne, i have only soaked in the kitchen sink with warm water..with like colors,of the batiks. i suppose i could put a color catcher in the water with them..but haven't done that yet..

I just do cool water and color catcher... no problems here

I use Retayne on the fabrics that I hand dye, but not on purchased batiks. The commercial batiks, like Hoffman 1895 batiks, get numerous rinses before going on the bolt.

This is interesting! I do use Retayne. Lots (not all) of the batiks that I prewash do run (some 1895's included)--but I use hot water! When I switch to cold water rinsing, they mostly stop running. Maybe I should just try the warm to cold water washing and see what happens as I would never wash a quilt in hot water any way! Recently, I did read that Retayne does NOT work unless the water is heated to 140 degrees (so if you use warm water only the retayne doesn't do anything any way). Also it was mentioned about not using it in front loading washers. My past practice was to soak in hot water in retayne then a few cold water rinses in the washer. Maybe I will experiment by not using the retayne and just using warm/cold water!

I don't believe I've ever prewashed a batik.

I do only wash in cool to warm water, and when in doubt throw in a color catcher (top loader),the color catchers come out nearly as white as when I put them in.

Maybe I've just been lucky, but think I'll keep to this method.

I wash them the same as all my fabrics. A regular temp wash, not the hot or the cold, just the same as I wash my clothes in. Use Tide for front loaders. Throw in a couple, three of used dye catchers. Start out a dye catcher with my whites and then it goes to fabric washing. So I throw in whatever I have, usually two just to be sure... Chris

I wash everything before I actually use it but particularly batiks. Quality doesn't seem to impact whether they run or not - they almost all do. Just wash with my regular laundry with a color catcher....always turns out to be "a good thing" I don't use any fabric softener though whenever I have fabric in a load. And, I don't put them in the dryer - just air dry.

The indigo batik quilt I made would have been BIG trouble if I had not used the hot water and Retayne twice (turned the water a deep blue)...and then several rinses until the color catcher weren't catching anything. It was a gift so it had to be safe or I couldn't have given it away. I have a decent collection of other batiks but haven't used them yet.

You know - you expect the dark colors to run, but I remember doing a BOM where they gave you small pieces and I would wash them by hand - the worst ones in that batch were the yellows.

I pre-wash all my fabrics, including batiks. I was everything in cold water, and use color catchers in any load with fabrics. I have used dark blues and they didn't run in cold water.

I wash all my fabric, except precuts. I use color catchers and wash in warm water with regular detergent. There's been times when both batiks and regular fabrics have bled considerably and you never know which one its going to be. So, I wash it all.

I have never used Retayne or color catchers - I just wash all of my fabrics when I bring them home. I have not noticed any fading with my batiks - hummmmm makes me think about them and how we need to go batik shopping again. LOL