pre-wash 
noun
1A preliminary wash, especially one performed as part of a cycle in an automatic washing machine.Just enough intelligence to get you thinking, as your head begins to spin uncontrollable like a pre-wash cycle....
- Most stains will come out in the wash, or with the added help of a pre-wash stain remover.
- Do not spray pre-wash stain removers on clothing on top of dryer unless top is protected completely; this may corrode plastic control parts as well as paint.
1.1A substance applied as a treatment before washing: used as a pre-wash, this product conditions the hair...
- A pre-wash having the ingredients of water, an acid and an alcohol is also provided and can be used prior to the application of the cleaning solution to the painted surface.
- A pre-wash to remove the most stubborn oxidation can be made with equal parts of water, alcohol and acid.
verb [with object]
Give a preliminary wash to: he would have to pre-wash the shirt before packing and shipping it...
- We want food that's been pre-washed, cars with air-conditioning and homes with everything from dishwashers to electric toothbrushes.
- Genefilter cDNA array membranes, containing 4,133 human genes, were pre-washed in boiling 0.5 per cent SDS for five min.
- Hands should be pre-washed and nails cleaned with a nail pick under running water to remove gross debris and superficial microorganisms before applying the alcohol-based scrub product.