When to wash new fleece for making liners

[bailey45121]

I finally recieved my fn 182 and I purchased fleece to make liners and a hammock. I read that you need to wash the fleece because of shrinkage and to make it absorbant for liners. My question is should you wash the fleece before or after you make the liners?

 

[2manypets]

I would wash and dry it before you make the liners in case of shrinkage. I would also make the liners a couple inches bigger than they should be in case they shrink more than once in the dryer.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I would wash and dry it before you make the liners in case of shrinkage. I would also make the liners a couple inches bigger than they should be in case they shrink more than once in the dryer.

I second this. Would hate to have them made and then wash them and the not fit.

 

[menagerie]

I would wash and dry it a couple of times before you make the liners.

 

[Snickers]

I would wash and dry before making the liners. Also don't use fabric softner.

 

[bailey45121]

Will I need to wasi them in hot or cold water? My washer is only hooked up to cold water.

 

[smhufflepuff]

Personally, I wash in hot and dry in the dryer (I used to air dry, but my little one gets sick easily, so all steps in cleaning are designed to kill off germs), so when making stuff out of fleece, I use that protocol - wash in hot; dry in dryer.

Alternately, if I regularly washed fleece in cold and dried on high, then I'd use a that same cold water & high heat dryer protocol before sewing. Else what are you going to do? Unhook your washer and reattach to hot for one load? I suppose you could go crazy with it and boil the fleece on your stovetop (I've done that before - when they had giardia) if you wanted to be super certain it won't shrink more. But the texture flattens afterward; it's not as soft and thick.

I'd vote for tossing the new fleece in for a couple of regular loads before cutting & sewing and call it a day.

 

[wranglersarah]

I made my own fleece liners and didn't wash them before and they didn't shrink at all. I made 6 sets and none shrank. I just got done makeing 6 more sets and they didn't shrink either. But I suppose if you want to be safe make a couple sets and try them both ways. I have washed mine on warm and dryed in the dryer and no problems. Good luck!