:?: I need your help> Some one gave a group of girl scouts I have been helping to learn to quilt, many 9 batch quilt block that were hand sewn several years ago. :?: :?: My question is how can we get the very bad musty smell out of the fabric? The fabric does not appear to be weak. Just smells really bad. :( The hand work is beautiful but do not want to use it with this bad smell. :roll:

Assuming they are small, I would soak overnight in a sinkful of soapy water, rinse well, and line dry. The sun will kill any lingering smells.

if it can be wet, I'd spritz with vinegar, and let it sit. I have heard that newspaper wadded up and put with something will remove odor. maybe combining the 2 will work. :-)

If i have a bad smell on a fabric, i find sunlight liquid dish soap, the lemon kind, takes smells out really good, it's the lemon smell that does it, then i would rinse it really good too, and hang to dry

I agree with redrummy, I would spray them with vinegar, then either rinse them or wait until the quilt is finished and wash it then. Vinegar is great at taking out odors. I usually add a cup or so when I'm washing my kitchen towels to keep the sour smell out of them.

:D Thank you all for your reply I will use vinegar and wash with sunlight dishsoap and hang out in the sunshine to dry. :-o I did not want to work on the fabric when it smelt so bad. I can not thank you all enough.
CAK44

The only thing bad about using vinegar is if it has any kind of stain on it the vinegar will set it in for good.

I would sew before washing.....sun and fresh air first............sprinkle with baking soda and use the fabreeze.......then sew and then wash
:D If you have a covered porch that would be good for it :D

I found this on internet it says mold causes the smell so......................

Kill the mold by soaking the clothes overnight in a solution such as ONE of the following:
One cup ammonia to one gallon warm water; or
One cup of white vinegar to one gallon warm water; or
One cup of baking soda to one gallon warm water
Soak overnight.
Wash normally with regular detergent and hang to dry on a sunny day.

Why not wash in the washing machine with the soap powder you use for clothes.... rinse well and put on clothes line to dry.....

I am a Project Linus coordinator and one of the things we are told is that we can NOT use fabrics that smell moldy or musty. There are mold spores in the fabric and these will not be removed by washing, etc. If anyone uses the quilt that has pulmonary or allergies, it may create problems for them.
I did find that some of the fabric I got when I started my chapter had that same type smell. I washed it and put it away and I notice that a year later when it came out of the zipper bag it did smell again. I should have just disposed of it in the first place but I had to try.
Cathy in MI