Originally Posted by Barb in Louisiana

It's amazing how info on this board comes at the right time for me. Several days ago, I pulled out some fabric and it smelled musty. I was wondering what I was going to do with the fabric. I knew I didn't want to throw it out. I had thought about soaking it in Odoban, which I have but now, will think about using vinegar first.

I have a front load washer, which means I will be putting a washtub size container in the tub to pre-soak the fabric, before washing it in the washer. I do not normally pre-wash my fabric, but had realized that the odor of mustiness would bother me...I have all the allergies to mold, mildew, dust, etc....so know that I didn't want to take a chance of getting those spores in my lungs. I just don't want a six week case of bronchitis.

In fact, now that I think of it, I will probably put the tub out on my patio and soak the fabric outside. It will only be vinegar & water in the tub, so won't harm the ground when I dump it out. Then I'll bring the fabric inside and wash it with detergent with Oxyclean in it and more vinegar. There won't be any chemicals in that fabric when I get through! Oh, better mention, I am going to pink the edges before I do this so I don't have all those horrible strings to deal with.