i don't wash my projects after they are finished,they look great

That depends on what the project is and what you are going to do with it. If it is to be a gift, or if it is a display piece (wall-hanging, etc) you wouldn't necessarily want or need to wash it first. You would want it to remain looking as "brand new" as possible. However, if the project is for your own personal use, if the item is something that may shrink (like a 100% cotton towel), you should probably wash it BEFORE you embroider it. And, if you use a wash-away topper or stabilizer, the only way to get rid of the residue completely is to wash the item. Hope that helps you decide what to do. =]

I don't think that would be necessary. Sometimes I use wash away stablizer on the top of knits and terry and of course that would have to be washed or rinsed out. At one time I did several towels with wash away. I cut away as much as possible and then put them in the washing machine on a low water level and then put in the dry. That worked great.

I don't ever wash my finished projects before giving away or selling. I do attach a note explaining any special washing instructions that would be required. If you are having residue from water soluable topping, just spritz with a fine water mist and use a paper towel to blot. It doesn't remove the stiffness, but it does remove the plastic that wont tear away or tweezer off. ;)