Okay I pre WASHED ... NEED IDEAS ABOUT WRINKLES

[Hannelore N.]

I have never been a pre washer but because of problems with the storage system I am in the process of pre-washing all my fabrics. My problem is when they come out of the dryer the fabric is a WRINKLED MESS !!!

Folding is not getting the wrinkles out. What do you do to avoid the problem. I think I might have over loaded the washer and dryer but I am not sure.. I am re wetting the fabric and doing half loads to see if that helps. ( Washer and Dryer set is less than 5 years old)

Is there and effieient way to do this... YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD BE AN EXPERT AT MY ADVANCED AGE but I wear uniforms, t shirts and jean and PJs .... 90% of the time and good/specialty clothes usually get sent to the cleaners. Only pressing I do is quilt fabric.

Advice is greatly appreciated....

IS THERE A PROPER WAY TO PRE WASH?


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[Kathryn S.]

Well, I can only share what I've been doing. I hand wash the fabrics (gasp)! and clip them on skirt hangers, no more than 2 fabrics on the hanger at a time. I hang them outside when it's warm but otherwise inside on the shower curtain rod. They stay pretty nice but I still need to press before I cut them. My only experience with drying fabrics in the dryer was that they came out shriveled and tattered, probably because I let them go too long and they got crispy.
I actually washed my entire stash by hand last summer. It took a long time!

Kathy

[Kathryn S.]

To really get wrinkles out of fabrics you need to damp press it. If it completely dries out wrinkled, that is how it stays, even with steam ironing, until it is completely relaxed by soaking again. At least that is my experience.

[Hannelore N.]

I don't have a dryer, so my washed fabrics come out of the machine damp. I then hang them up without crunching them up or folding and iron them before they are totally dry. Then hang them up again till they are really dry and can be stored.

But..... oh horror of horrors...... most of the time I don't pre-wash my fabric, but hand-wash after the piece is finished. Works for me.

Lorchen

[Hannelore N.]

Be careful to not overload your dryer.....I put a few pieces in at a time and take them out still a little damp and the press them with a hot dry iron...and voila...crisp pieces for any project. I also find that depending on overall quality of fabric one sometimes hardly needs to press.

[Hannelore N.]

For me, I don't use the automatic setting on my dryer. I set the timer for about 10 min on low or med heat to get most of the moisture out, then press dry.

[Barbara L.]

I use cj's method-no more than 10 minutes in the dryer & I take the fabric out immediately & iron & fold it.

[Barbara L.]

when i prewash the fabrics, i dont put them in the dryer, but let it dry slowly, in a normal way, after that, i do iron them with starch! that takes all the wrinkles out

[Pamela O.]

I wash fabrics on a hand wash or delicate cycle with a quick or light soil setting. If it is yardage, I open the fold and fan fold the fabric at one selvedge. I safety pin it and it washes without getting into a twisted mess.
I only lightly damp dry the fabric. Yes, I iron it dry. Fold and store.

[Pamela O.]

excellent idea Pamo, Have to try the fan and pin technique.

I also use the light setting on the machine.

[Pam D.]

I handwash my fabrics then spin the the excess water out in my washing machine, I then iron them, with a hot iron, straight from the machine whilst damp.

[Bonnie J.]

I clip corners @ a diagonal to decrease fraying on the edges, then fold wrongside out in half, matching the cut edges and safety pin loose folded yardage every 18 inches or so along the selvages with a few down center (depending upon the length of the piece). Fat quarters get paired up and pinned together at the corners. Sent through wash and damp dry this way with MUCH less fraying and much less wrinkling. Used to get "broomstick" effect when prewashing yardage before someone suggested this and this has been a Godsend! You still have to steam press to get "perfect" for cutting but works.

[Bonnie J.]

I just tried washing 2 yards of fabric using the accordion method and it worked just like promised. Thank you Thank you thank you. What a difference. Even the cut edge didn't seem to unravel as much. Don't know if it was technique, or that the fabric wasn't cut straight.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[Pamela O.]

I just tried washing 2 yards of fabric using the accordion method and it worked just like promised. Thank you Thank you thank you. What a difference. Even the cut edge didn't seem to unravel as much. Don't know if it was technique, or that the fabric wasn't cut straight.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Glad it worked for you. It was a TaDa moment for me when I tried the technique.

[Pamela O.]

Well, your TaDa moment was Brilliant.