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washing batting???

washing batting???

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Old 09-20-2021, 06:40 AM
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Default washing batting???

Hello all!! Just another question from me. I bought about half a roll of warm and natural batting for $10 woohoo! right?
Unfortunately, it smells like damp cabin. Can I cut it into quilt size pieces and wash it on gentle cycle by itself before putting it into a quilt or will it fall apart? I really don't want to put in into a quilt if I can't get the smell out. Thanks for ant ideas.
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Old 09-20-2021, 11:08 AM
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I would air it out for several days just to see if it got better. If it doesn't, I would make a small placemat size quilt and wash that to see if the smell remains.
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Old 09-20-2021, 12:26 PM
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I would also try airing it for several days. Fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for smells.

If it still smells you could try putting it in a bag with baking soda to see if that helps or soak it and then dry. I put my batting in the dryer and use the steamer to get wrinkles out. I've never had it start to come apart so a gentle wash would probably be fine as a last resort. You could always try a small piece and see what happens
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Old 09-20-2021, 02:08 PM
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If you decide to wash it, don't let the machine agitate. Just soak the batting in water and let it spin out. Then you can put it in the dryer. Washing in a regular agitate and spin cycle could cause holes in the batting. I would not cut it in small pieces.
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Old 09-20-2021, 02:55 PM
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I think I would try cutting off what I need for a small quilt. Then putting it outside for a bit to see if the smell goes away. I also might try just making a very small quilt...maybe for a dog bed, and washing it to see if the smell goes away...and finally, I would consider if the $10 I spent was worth all the fuss about trying to make the smell go away if these two steps did not work.
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Old 09-20-2021, 03:48 PM
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Originally Posted by maryb119 View Post
If you decide to wash it, don't let the machine agitate. Just soak the batting in water and let it spin out. Then you can put it in the dryer. Washing in a regular agitate and spin cycle could cause holes in the batting. I would not cut it in small pieces.
I have washed Warm and Natural this way without a problem.
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Old 09-20-2021, 05:39 PM
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If it is an important quilt, I always preshrink the batting. I only wet it and dry in the dryer. If I had stinky batting, I would lay it out in the sunshine before I did anything. I'm no expert, but I would consider baking soda or vinegar before anything else.

I had a bag of stinky potting soil that I left on the sidewalk beside the house. I opened it and dumped it into the bin, and then realized it stunk. My online buddies suggested air and sunshine, saying something about aerobic something or another. I would assume the same advice might apply to the also mostly organic batting.

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Old 09-21-2021, 01:25 AM
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First, what a great buy! I too believe the sun is your friend here. I'd spread the batting out as much as possible, in the sun and spray it with Febreze. Let the sun do it's job. Bring it inside overnight and see how it's doing. Next day, turn it over, spray and spread outside again. Best of luck
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Old 09-21-2021, 08:20 AM
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I never bought stinky batting. I would probably go ahead and use it in a quilt. To wash I would use usual cold water with cold water tide and rinse in vinegar. That should fix the smell.
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Old 09-21-2021, 05:17 PM
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Sunshine on a bright, dry day (or two) would be my first try.

If that doesn't work, you can wash it, possibly with borax (a natural odor remover), followed by hang drying outside. You can support with a sheet if you are concerned about hanging it.

It was a great deal, definitely worth trying to save!
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