I know someone here will have a solution for getting the aged basement smell out of fabric I got at a church rummage sale. I have washed it in good soap, Fleecy in the rinse, and dried overnight outside. Put an iron to it and it smells bad again. What is your remedy?

Borax in with the detergent. Turn off the washer after it's filled and let it soak for a few minutes. Did this some smelly towels last year. Borax is in the detergent aisle.

I use white vinegar and baking soda to get ANY odor out. Wash on longest setting with your detergent, rinse twice. Works every time for me.

I don't know if this will work with fabric but it worked when we sprang a water leak at the church and the carpet smelled all musty. Someone bought charcoal brickets annd old newspapers and put them on the floor. the charcoal absorbed the smell. You might put the fabric in a bag with a couple of brick-ets and a newspaper and see if that helps. It's worth a try.

that is what worked for me, too.

Vinegar in with the regular detergent works for me.

All of the above have worked for me at one time or another. You could also try Fabreeze.

I second the white vinegar.

I just am wondering if when you used your iron on the fabric if that may have "set" the odor, but these suggestions are worth a try. Also you might try laying it out flat on the grass and let it sit in sunshine several hours.

I third the vinegar. BrendaK

White Vinagar

How much vinegar do you use?

Vinegar

I use the Downey ball fill with vinegar. Will automatically empty in rinse. I also have put fab in freezer for few days

This is a timely post! I recently got a bunch of fabric, and it all smelled "old." I washed it with Borax, and most of it came out fine. Some of it, however, had the bad smell "revive" when I ironed it. It was thinner fabric, and I wondered if it was perhaps a poly-cotton blend and that's what made the smell stay. The rest was fine, no smell at all.

Interesting...

I make sure I use color and perfume-free ALL and clorox 2 clear plus Oxy-clean in everything I wash and I have not had any problems. To me, using something like Fabreeze only 'masks' teh odor and does not get rid of it. Be sure and not use hot water or dry hot as you will 'set' odors and stains. Use cold.