CAK44

Thank you for your replies. My friend is Project Linus coridinator for NE Indiana, small world. The quilts we are making are going to be donated to a ministry at our local Church and would not want anyone to get harmed because of mold in the fabric
I just hate to see all the hand work this lady did go with out being used. There are probably around a hundred of these 9 squares all hand sewn and very nicely done.
I have taken some and soaked them in laundry soda and Cold Water Tide
also some in vinegar, rinsed them out good, Hung them out in the sunshine to air out, at the present time they smell good, I am afraid the smell will return. If we decide to use them in quilts we need to be very careful who they are given to.

Thank you all for your replies
CAK44

CAK44

I think they would frey out and they are small. Thanks CAK44

joy

Why not boil them.... that should kill any nasties...

mimisharon

If you are afraid of the smell returning or spores being in the squares, then let the girls bring in fat quarters to use for the Linus quilts and let them have an equal number of squares from the lady to use in wall hanging, table runner, or some such thing for them selves. They might enjoy the 'trading" and pieciing of squares for the babies.

I have two quilt tops from cotton that were quite smelly from the lady my grandmother bought them from, but I hung them on the line after washing in lemon juice and they've never had the smell come back. I use them, though, and I dried them in a hot dryer after allowing them to dry in the sun with the lemon juice solution. (yes, forgot to say I washed them in warm soapy water, too, didn't I) sorry late hours are getting to me.

Good luck and do let us know what you decide to do with the girls. I'm so into the idea of teaching them to quilt, to do the "square" piecing, I wish I lived closer I'd let them come two at a time to the house to help them.

Sharon

binkister

what if you can't hang them out to dry outside,because of the weater now in the winter. I have some smelly fabric my niece just brought over that was in my mother's sewing basket that was given to her and they put it in the shed! Now i would like to wash it and sew it for them, it is those cut=out things-moose-xmas angel etc. but it has a musty smell, and it is raining here. do i soak in lemon juice and for how long and hang to dry inside , then wash in the washer and dry?
thanks myra

redrummy

I use vinegar. It gets the smells out for me. Wash in sink if pieces, washer if large, dry as you choose, vinegar smell will fade.

kwilter

I go with a bit of ammonia in the wash water and contain small pieces in mesh bags so they don't fray all over the place. Good luck!

Lori S

Not always.. one of the issues with mold or any spore forming organism is the only sure way to get ALL of them is PRESSURE! You need pressure to break the spore. That's why surgical tools are put into an autoclave... pressure! There is A huge difference between sanitized and sterile.