debstoehr

I recently came across Febreeze In Laundry Odor Eliminator. I saw it at the store and thought I would give it a try as I had recently acquired a lot of fabric that was musty smelling. I used my usual All Free and Clear with the Febreeze and no fabric softener. There was no odor left in the fabric when it was removed from the dryer.

Jordan

I have bought a few pieces of fabric at thrift stores and I come home and wash right away and put some white vinegar in the washing machine and line dry and the fabrics come out really looking and smelling great.

klswift

Hopefully washing them will get it out. A hint to keep it from happening is to throw a dryer sheet into the drawer or bin that you keep the stash in. It not only helps with the moisture, but also the musty smell and little bugs. I buy the cheap ones at the dollar store and also throw them in with the sleeping bags, the back of the linen closet and when I store the winter coats. You can also use bay leaves, but they are more expensive. Another tip for storing your orphan blocks (I keep extras and testers for later use on tote bags as quick gifts) is to keep them in a pizza box - obviously not a used one! Usually a pizza shop will give you one or two and the medium size is great for most blocks. The cardboard wicks moisture, they stack flat and you can write on them. I have a stack of 'patriotic', 'christmas', 'earth colors', blues - etc. I like to try out new patterns or color combos before I go for the whole quilt top.

sewNso

good feed. i sure needed this thread. i had just acquired a bunch of pieces that smelled like cigeratte smoke.

Macybaby

I'm another that uses vinegar in the wash. However I've never had my own stash get smelly and some of the fabric is from the early 70's. My sister had it stored in boxes for about 20 years before I got it, and it still did not have that musty smell.

I did buy a lot from an estate sale where they had water in the basement, and the lady had been a heavy smoker. I bought just a small amount, came home and washed it with vinegar to make sure I could get the smell out. When it worked, I went back the next day and loaded up the pickup truck!

Claire123

I haven't had too much trouble with this, but I'd give everything a good washing and drying. I have heard not to iron/press with starch if you plan to store fabric for a long time.

grann of 6

I keep a dehumidifier going in my basement sewing studio 24/7, since I have so miuch fabric and rolls of batting. Anything that comes in from a questionable source gets washed with All Free & Clear and Oxyclean powder.

Iceblossom

I recently got a sealed bag of little scraps at the Goodwill that smelled heavily of smoke. Almost threw the whole thing out but treated them with Febreeze and they turned out fine. Just pretreated (both sides) by putting a towel on top of the washing machine, laying out the scraps and spritzing them. Let them sit a few minutes, turned over, spritzed again, then put in a lingerie bag and washed.

Used to be harder to get out the smoke pre-Febreeze!

juliasb

I have a large stash of vintage fabrics that I have kept odor free and in great shape for 30 years and less. Some fabrics are older but since can't claim the age of the fabric we start where I know.I keep them in cool dark cabinets out of sunlight. Once a year I take them all out to be aired out. The are shaken out and refolded and then folded properly and put back in the cupboards sorted by color for the most part or by fabric type. There are exceptions. I have some much older feed sacks and the like that are kept in cedar chest. I have two nice chest just for this. Any fabric I pick up at garage sales, estate sales or the like are washed in warm water and hung to dry outside if weather permits or over a rack in the house. They are washed a second time if necessary. I use a homemade laundry soap that has no fragrance. I have to iron things usually and that can take hours. Once done I usually do not have problems again with fabrics I bring in from these sales.

Mariposa

I've had great success with using Ecos liquid laundry detergent (from Costco), and white vinegar in the "softener" part in my washer. Fabrics come out very clean, and with no odors. No fake/chemical smells for me.

I also use Magic Sizing or Best Press for pressing.