When I washed the finished quilt “Happy,” which had been dragged around for six years while being made, I put in 6 color catcher cloths–even though all the fabrics were washed when they came into the house.
Hmmm….
Enough said, right?
But, maybe I’ll add that I also washed another quilt, I also added color catchers to the wash.
And…hmmmm…
The reds did run a bit.
I’ll always use them for a quilt now…
Louisa Enright's Blog 
One of the reasons why I now always pre-treat my fabrics with Retayne now. I always used to pre-wash with color catchers but at some point the color catchers were coming out like your photos even after repeated washings.
Oh, thanks for that tip Mary! Will try Retayne.
Ah. Looked up info on Retayne on Amazon, thinking to order it. But the label says it doesn’t work in front loader “environmental” washers, which I have. I always check with the commenters on Amazon–good info there to consider. Many loved the product. There were also some comments about how it is really powerful and if gets loose from its bottle it can eat through vinyl flooring. But others also say it works really well if water heat is correct. Since the color catchers ARE working to keep color out of the quilts I’m washing (white towels put in to balance the wash also come out white), I think I’ll stick with them.
You are right about the washing machine issue. I have a utility sink and treat the fabrics by hand (using a stick to stir the fabric) by heating up water on a stove. Don’t know what it is about my water, but color catchers no longer work.
I’m thinking about how to maybe use Retayne for small pieces, like a yard. Perhaps a small bucket in the sink. I don’t have a utility sink in this house. I did in Maine, but boiling water upstairs would have been an issue, LOL.