patches6032

soak in vinegar water overnight in washer then wash as usual and if still smewlls repeat

judy363905

I am with BeeBee on this Carol....too much trouble to deal with

Judy in Phx, AZ

Eyelets

The only thing that will kill the mold spores for good is bleach - you will have to add some bleach - read the direction on how much to the laundry - and if you do't do that then you will need to run a load of water through your machine with bleach to get that out of your machine as well. Mold is not something to play around with, as some molds are toxic. I would toss the entire mess in the garbage and forget about it. Not worth the potential harm. I work in a library and we have to know our mold. Bbrrr.....

Wanabee Quiltin

I, personally, would never throw any fabric away unless it was black mold. I would wash everything in hot water in the washing machine. The sun also is a great way to dry it and give it a good odor.

sahm4605

with mold and mildew, they stain really really really bad. I have washcloths that ended up hidden under my washer hamper and I have washed them with whites in bleach and they still have the stains on them. and i have washed them a few times this way. ended up throwing them out.

katesnanna

What a shame when your sister thought she was doing something nice for you. I'm one of those who couldn't just throw it away .
There was a quilt shop just north of Brisbane that went under in the floods. They asked their regular customers to take a bolt home and wash it. It was then sold at a reduced price. Flood waters can have all manner of things.
If you should decide to try a rescue bid, add some Oil of Cloves to the water or better still spray the fabric before you wash it. In a spray bottle you only need 3 drops and it will kill all mold. This has been tried and tested (not by me) and proved that it works.
If you still didn't want to use it perhaps you could donate it to a charity but let them know what has happened.

Peepers

I agree with Nessie - vinegar and hot water will kill the mold. Vinegar is as good as bleach at killing mold. The vinegar will also neutralize any odor.

SewOK

You have to be very careful washing any kind of mold in your washer and the reason is that some of the water with the mold spores in it may be left sitting in the pump in your washer and cause a major unknown problem to you and your family. I personally would not take a chance with molded fabrics as you have no idea how long they have been that way or what type of mold you're exposing yourself and others too. jmho

Betty Ruth

Throw out possibly usable fabric, never. Several possible solutions have been given Try them all until you find one that works. As a last resort, there is bleach.

pokeyscorner

I had a leaking water heater yrs ago & had a problem with my fabric. I found a university website that gave me excellent advice. I mean it really worked. Used borax & vinegar in the washer with hot water. Then you don't put it in the dryer you hang it on the clothesline in the sun. Both the borax & the sun will kill it dead. I still have a few of those pcs of fabric left & they are still in good condition. I can laugh about it now, picturing me & my sister laying YARDS of fabric on my lawn & on my clothesline.