I really love this board, read it everyday and learn something everyday. I never thought about thread getting old!! How old is old? 1 yr?, 5yrs? 10 yrs? Should all thread on wooden spools be thrown out? If it is considered too old to use in a machine could you still use it for hand sewing or is it even too rotten for this? Does some thread rot faster than others? I have my mother's stash of thread and a retired Home Ec teacher gave me bushels of thread. Thanks for any advice.

Does it break easily if u tug on it? If not should be ok.

I don't know how old is too old. But I have found that my older thread (say 5 yrs or older) seems to break frequently in my machine. Don't know if the cotton just breaks down after awhile or what. Interested in hearing an expert opinion.

Someone said on this board once to put all your old thread in a plastic zip lock bag and put in the freezer for 3 months and it will revitalize the thread and it will be good as new. Hope this helps :D

Going to have to try that freezer thing...but I'll probably forget the thread is in there! LOL

LOL that would be something I would do!

some threads loose their strength faster than others it seems- but if it was stored and taken care of well it can last a long-long time. do a strength test on a spool if it does not break easily by just giving it a tug it should be ok- if it breaks in the machine it could still be used for basting or other hand work- unless it really breaks easily.
i had a whole bunch of maxi-lock thread from my mom- some of which i did not feel was still usable-
i donated the whole lot to the local scout troop---they were thrilled to get it!
before just throwing wooden spools out i would make a couple phone calls to see if someone couldn't use it--just hate throwing away when so many organizations would appreciate the donation. groups of kids (and art teachers) get very creative with some of the stuff we just toss in the trash- and with all the budget cuts they look for the help of generous people

:) now if tis works I won't have to buy thread for a long time... :lol:

Very interesting!

And then my husband would call my kids and say, "I think your mother is losing her mind. You'll never guess what I found in the freezer today!!?"