[elwoodblues]

I've heard that soaking jeans or brights in salt water before the first washing helps preserve the color, but have never done it because I really don't care too much if my clothes fade.

Overall, the lower the drying heat the better (even if it takes longer.) You will be less likely to shrink, fade, set stains that didn't come out in the wash cycle, etc. by doing it on low heat.