I always wash first.. been burned with bleeding fabric dyes.. no matter where.. LQS or other.

the smell? wow.. did see here to put a bar of soap "Irish Spring" in with fabric in plastic bag for a while..

getting scared about these kind of posts.. smell, bugs.. OK.. I am trapped at home.. buy online.. so far, never any issues....

wow.

Ell

Agree! If you decide to wash them, I would do it by hand in the sink, air dry, then iron. I would definitely not wash in the machine, mesh bag or not.

Several years ago I bought fabric at a quilt shop in central Texas and did not notice the moldy smell until I was home in Colorado. I washed the fabric and added vinegar to the rinse cycle and was able to get rid of the odor.

most of the time it is the bad sizing they put in the fabric to make it feel as good as the best fabric

anytime you purchase (used)fabric- from a source outside of an actual store selling new fabrics-- the first thing you should do is WASH THEM! you never know what might be on the fabrics- from soils/oils/ perfumes---to bugs
whether it comes from an on line source or from a thrift store/yard sale- it should be washed before you do anything with it---for your safety and the safety of your family. lice, fleas, bed bugs, spiders....all kinds of critters can be in the fabrics- you have no idea if they've been in a box in a barn for years- or where they have been stored.

I would try airing them outside first. If that doesn't work, then wash them in a mesh laundry bag.

add vinegar to the wash water-helps eliminate odors

Put them in a large plastic bag and set a bowl of vinegar in there. Keep them tied up for a few days then see if the smell is gone. My father-in-law use to smoke his cigars in our house and the vineger kills the smell. It seems to work on anything!

Wash them.

Put baking soda and vinegar in your wash water. I did that for some fabric I got at a yard sale. But mine smelled like cigar smoke. But it did take the smell out.