Don't know if it's a perfect solution, but I wash mine with retayne. I think the directions say hot water???

Sandra,
I had the same problem with red fabric I bought on sale from a quilt shop while on a vacation.
I washed it first with color catchers and they turned bright red. I washed it twice in hot water with Retayne and it still bleeds just as much as the first time. You would think that by now the fabric would be pink lol!!

I have been told that todays fabrics are dyed differently and salt and vinegar will not set the dyes.

If you want to try the Retayne it should set the dye in the fabric with one hot washing, the instructions are on the bottle and I used a candy themometer to make sure I had it hot enough. The second time I let it sit overnight.

I think I just got a bad dye batch and I will use it on a denim raggedy quilt.

Good Luck!!!
Rosa

Thank you for your help. Where do you get Retayne and how much does it cost? Can I get it at Hobby Lobby, Lowes or Walmart, what part of the store is it in?

Today I tried salt in the wash and that did not help. I am now soaking 1 yard of the fabric in 8 cups water / 2 cups white vinegar and I will soak it until tomorrow evening - 24 hours. I am game to try just about anything so long as it is not expensive. If it costs like $8 or more I'd be ahead just to donate it to Goodwill and put good money toward something that won't bleed.

This post was edited by quiltingfox on Fri, Feb 15, 13 at 16:36

Don't know about price or location. I bought mine in a quilt shop a long time ago.
LindaB/CA

JoAnn online has it on sale $2.09 for 4oz - I'm sure they carry it in their stores.

I have never seen it at any Walmart stores by me. Hobby Lobby may carry it - ours is not very big and doesn't have a very big quilting selection.
Rosa

Thank you Linda and Rosa, I appreciate your help.

This post was edited by quiltingfox on Fri, Feb 15, 13 at 16:35

Thanks to my Montana quilting friend's advice I tried white vinegar - and it works!!!!! :-) I combined 3 cups of white vinegar with 8 cups cold water in a plastic tub with 1 yard of red heavily bleeding fabric and let it soak for 24 hours (with Glad press and seal on the top of it so it would not stink up the house), then I washed it in the machine with cold water and detergent on normal wash with medium water amount setting to get the vinegar out, then I washed it a 2nd time in the machine/cold water/detergent/normal cycle/medium water amount with an old white dish towel and 2 good size scrap pieces of WOW (white on white) fabric and all white fabric came out pristine white! It works, the red no longer bleeds!!! :-)

That's good news!!! Nothing worked on mine lol! But, I still plan to use it with a denim raggedy quilt.