How not to store batting.
 

Just wanted give everyone a warning on a problem I have run into-
I was pulling out some packaged batting's that I have stored on a shelf and found something unexpected. A beautiful king sized bamboo batting is covered with tiny little scraps of plastic. I am guessing that a biodegradable plastic has started to break down. I picked it up on sale and it has been on my shelf for a couple of years.
I guess that I am going to have to sit down and pick all of the tiny bits off of the batt because of course the plastic is all clingy from static and won't just shake off.to make matters worse the bits are very fragile and crumble further when touched. :mad:What a mess!
I will take it as a sign that I should quilt more so that I can use up stashed goods faster:).
How do you store batting?

I usually buy my batting on the roll and have it hung on a closet rod directly over my cutting table, so when I'm ready for it, I just unroll it.

Good thinking tartan. I will try that.

Would a lint roller work?

I agree with Tartan...also,if your vacuum has it, lessen the suction by openning the vent on the attachment.

Try a charged balloon, like the science experiments in elementary school.

I was thinking of putting it in the dryer on just air, no heat.

My Warm and Natural comes on a roll like paper towels. My sister let me keep the box when we bought a roll together. It is on the floor under the sewing machine.

I guess I have another take on this. If the batting is breaking down on the shelf, wouldn't it have also broken down in a quilt? Or is it possible that it was that way (damaged) when you bought it and you couldn't tell until you opened it up to use it? It sounds more like a manufacturing defect to me.

Just a thought, might little critters have eaten the plastic?

I had some left-over bamboo batting also. I was able to use it, but I won't purchase bamboo batting ever again. It does seem to deteriorate and lose its softness much quicker than the traditional Warm and Natural or Dream Cotton. Oh well, at least we are trying to utilize what we have!

I too think that if the batting is deteriorating into little plastic pieces on the shelf, the same thing would happen in the quilt. I don’t think I would make the effort to get the plastic pieces off or even use it. I might also call the manufacturer and see if there is some explanation.

I am guessing it is the plastic bag it was stored in that has not degraded- not the batting itself which should not be composed of plastic.

My first thought, as well.

I read this as the bag breaking down, not the batting. Another way not to store batting is in a not quite closed rolling tote in a room the dog frequents. My Pellon interfacing for my table runner is in the washer right now. There was a dark line on the fold. :thumbdown:

I agree, could be the plastic bag it was stored in and not the batting. Another thought though, does the batting have a scrim? Scrim is often a thin plastic. I would call the manufacturer and ask and mention what happened (even though you've had it for a couple of years, I would still call). They may have an idea of how to capture the plastic pieces. Can you shake it out or hang it out on a clothes line and let a breeze shake off the plastic?

That's what I was thinking. I don't think bamboo batting would have plastic in it.

Thank you all for your thoughts.Very definitely not the batting breaking down. It is still beautiful and soft. It is the bag(sorry, i should have been more specific). There is a layer of plastic fragments that look like broken glass on the outside of the batt that is folded up and had never been opened. Also very much not critter damage because the fragments crumble when touched.
I will take it outside today and try to vacuum the clingy bits off and will try the lint roller as well.
I will be transferring my other stored battings to something other than plastic bags as well. I always left them in the bags to keep the size and content with them and the dust off of them but I will have to pin a note to them and cover them with a piece of fabric. Rolls do sound like a better way to go.

That was my first thought. Thank heavens you didn't put it inside a quilt! Are you sure you want to save this?

Boy, I was confused too, it's the plastic bag, not the batting that is the problem. I wouldn't put it in the dryer though cause all those little pieces would transfer to the next load or worse yet, stay in the dryer drum and melt!

Yes, I thought I had said it was the bag but when I went back and looked I realized that I hadn't.
I was hoping to warn anyone else who stored batting in plastic bags because I sure hadn't thought the bag would break down so fast as well as figure out how to clean up the bits.
The bamboo batting is gorgeous and soft but I no longer know the brand because the bag is too deteriorated. I am not worried at all that the batting will be a problem once it is cleaned up.

I use my old, torn fitted mattress sheets to cover the batting rolls. Breathable and easy to get out when I need batting. The rolls stand upright in one of those pop-up net hampers with handles.

I thought right away that it was a plastic bag that had held the batt. I would have taken it outdoors and tried to shake most of it off, but I understand that it would be difficult. How about some anti static spray. I have some of that here.
When I cleaned my husband's office I found a stack of soda crackers still in the plastic sleeve. That plastic couldn't even last long enough to carry the crackers to the kitchen. That problem was easy to solve. Broom and dustpan.

If all else fails, try storing the item on pool rollers.

I agree with the others who said to call the manufacturer and report this. Not only to help yourself, but to let the manufacturer know that this has happened and that their bags are not holding up as they should. You should not have to take on the tiresome task of doing this yourself, as it is the manufacturer responsibility to put their product in bags that do not degrade over time. Or, if they know that this is happening, then they should state this problem on the bag so that customers know to take the batting out of the bag and toss the bag right away. The manufacturer should replace your batting at no cost to you.

Well, you know, we all complain that plastic lasts forever, so many folks would look at a bio-degradable plastic bag as a "plus." And if she had been able to look at the bag, it might have said it was bio-degradable. So I think this is one to just chalk up to a bit of bad luck, and get out the vacuum.

I have had many packaged batts for years and never have seen the bags get this way. I go through them from time to time looking for a particular size so I'm sure I would have noticed. It seems to be that particular brand.

Yes, I have to agree with you Garden Gnome, I am pleased to see something packed in an environmentally kind package and will chalk it up to a learning thing. There isn't anything left with printing on it to see if it ever said that it would degrade and so just in case, I will re-think my storage for the future. I like the old fitted sheet wraps so I think I will try that.
Maviskw that is interesting, I never thought about plastic breaking down with the food still in it. I've never had a pack of crackers last long enough to discover that one myself:D.

This is so weird - I have had plastic bags stored for years and never thought a thing about it. Yesterday I read this thread. A friend of mine is gifting me her entire sewing items. In a plastic drawer set was a drawer full of little plastic bags, the ones smaller than 12 inch squares. It was obvious they had been in there for years! So I was pulling them out to put in a recycling bag (we take them to the grocery store to have them restyled) and one shattered. No other way to describe it - the little bag looked like it broke into so many tiny pieces and most looked like little shards of glass. They weren't sharp they only looked that way. Until I read this thread I had no idea this would happen.

How would they know it takes 450 years for water bottles to break down? No one has lived that long. Plastic water bottles have not been around 450 years.

Maybe it was something in the bamboo batting. I only use Hi-Loft poly batting. I avoid biodegradable everythings.

I'm a bit late to the posting here but I thought another tip couldn't hurt. If you haven't gotten around to trying the vacuum cleaner yet when you do you might try using a tennis racket in between the batting and the vacuum nozzle. The webbing on the racket will keep the batting from being sucked into the hose but allow the tiny bits of plastic through, and it should help you hold the batting down while you move the nozzle around.

I do have a couple packs of pre-cut batting but I use them 1st before I go to my bolt of batting above my cutting table. When it looks like I'm running out of batting, then I start looking for sales on the batting i prefer which is usually 70/30 Hobbs. I have some large quilts coming up to be quilted and it looks like I'll run out before I get thru them so went ahead and ordered another bolt. Still sitting near my front door in its packaging to keep it clean. Here's a pic of my batting hung above my cutting table. I use a metal 6' long ruler clamped on both ends to cut the batting.