sval

Help! I have 4 tops from my QOV group to be longarmed. They smell so bad I can't work on them. Does anyone know how to get the smell out? Can they be soaked/washed gently? Or is airing them the only way?
I honestly don't know how the owner could stand to piece them. They were all made from kits the group coordinator put together out of fabric she had stored somewhere. They smell musty. Dealing with perfumey scents from soap is one thing, but these are just awful.
My longarm is new. I bought it in part to do donation work. So this is my first time doing donation quilts or a quilt other than my own. If this is going to be an ongoing problem I need to know how to safely destink tops.
Any suggestions?

SVAL

Annaquilts

Send them back and tell why you are unable to work on them. It is their job to make sure they are clean. I have send tops back over smaller issues.

ManiacQuilter2

You really can't wash them. Would something like Febreze work?? Than at least the quilt can be salvaged.

bearisgray

Some people are sensitive to Febreeze - so with the original problem plus the Febreeze - might that make it even worse for seal?

Are these making your allergies act up?

sval

Yes, definitely. I just know they'll all look at me like I have 2 heads. I know I am sensitive to scents, so it's hard in a fragrance filled world.

I really want to be able to do donation quilts. I know I could make good use of my new longarm. But the thoughts of putting them on my leaders is unthinkable.

I feel if I send them back I would have to bow out of the group. They would just figure I couldn't quilt anyone's for one reason or another.

ctyankee

Why can't you wash them? I know that musty fabric can be soaked & then dried outside on a clothesline, & you can't tell they were ever musty! But it's a lot of extra work for you. Maybe 4 people can each take a quilt & soak it & then return to you for quilting, since you're willing to do that for the group. Good luck in your final decision -- & please let us know how this turns out!

Onebyone

I wouldn't wash the tops, you will have a distorted mess. Spray liberally with Lysol and put outside until dry. If you decide to return them, put the quilt tops in a closed up plastic bag. Let the person who opens it get a good whiff.

sval

I was wondering if that would work. Maybe soak them either in the sink or in the washer and a gentle spin cycle. Then hang them to dry. I don't have a clothesline. But could put a rope up between trees. They need to be washed at some point. No one deserves to get a quilt that smells like these do.
I'm going to wash the backing fabric in the machine first to see if the smell goes away.

Maggie_Sue

Sval I feel so bad for you, I too am very sensitive to odors. Wishing you much luck, but I am thinking if you accept this and do it yourself rather than sending it back, you are setting a standard.

Maureen NJ

I would ask the coordinator how you should handle it. Maybe they will just want to tie the quilts and then wash them. We once came home from vacation to a dog with fleas (thanks to our son who took him unknowingly to a friend's home who had cats with fleas ). I was a fanatic washing everything in site. I had a quilt top, made with Moda fabric, and I washed it in with hot water on delicate and dried on low. It came out great with some unraveling but no seams pulled apart. Was easily able to iron it. But thinking about it, I had pre washed the fabrics on hot with Retayne so the shrinkage had already occurred. Good luck. I couldn't stand the smell of mold/mildew so I'd probably refuse to do it.