clem55

I don"t understand why the insurance guy said you needed receipts. We had a basement flooded last fall ( sump pump failed). The only thing I had recipts for was the new carpet that we had put down the year before. I had books. record albums, wall pictures ( they were sitting on the floor) clothing in containers that leaked, , etc. Our adjuster took pictures of everything and then he worked up the estimate. He was able to find prices for most everything that was ruined by searching online, in books and EBAY!! Your adjuster is able to see that you have the fabric, yardage can be measured, and names can be found on selvages and he can certainly find comparable fabrics online . Hold your guns with him ( or on him, LOL) Take your own pictures before you wash and iron, or throw away. Document everything you can. And my suggestion to you, if your adjuster didn't take photos of your sewing things, call your company office and report him. My reason for saying this, my son and I have the same insurance company and agent. Less than 5 weeks after our basement flood, a bathroom pipe in his upstairs at a vacant home broke and major mess and damage. The adjuster that came to his house was not the one we had, and he didn't do his job properly, he was too lazy. Sons ex-wife wanted to handle everything ( greedy and bad situation there), so she just agreed to everything her adjuster said. They lost out big time on value replaced.

quiltinggrandmaca

So sorry to hear about the damage to your house. Hope these suggestions work for you.

Tink's Mom

Vinegar does work...but you can also try ODO-BAN. I buy it at Sam' Club, but I'm sure it's available elsewhere.
I doesn't have chemicals, it is all naturalproducts. Smells like flowers. I works very well. In the past we had an elderly relative with bladdar problems, and I had to use it on linens, rugs, floors...
I have used it on mildew smells also and it really worked...

dkabasketlady

So sorry about the damage to your home & sewing room. I hate insurance companies. They're just trying to not pay and keep what should be yours.
On another note, I DO have EVERY receipt for all my fabric, patterns, books, notions and anything else that is sewing related,lol! I guess I have a problem with insurance companies, right!!! (Personal experience has taught me to do this!)

amma

If you contact a company like Service Masters, (that does cleanup after disasters) they have products you can buy that are made especially for this problem :D:D:D

kclausing

Whatever you do, don't throw it away. If you can't get the small out, as long as it is clean, the fabric can be used to create blankets for shelter dogs.

ForestHobbit

Put some vanilla extract in the wash water. This works great for clothes forgotten in the washer for a week during the summer! You can put a vanilla bean or two in any size bottle of very cheap vodka and use that instead of pure vanilla that costs a fortune.

damaquilts

I just looked up the Tap-a-Drop. Amazon carries it and so do some pet places. I am going to have to look for it locally.I want to try it.

DeniseP

I have bought wet fabric in the past and it had a nasty smell that went away when I washed the fabric with my detergent, warm water and 20 Mule Team Borax. It's a natural deodorizing agent that works wonders. It is also good to whiten whites. I used cloth diapers for my kids (youngest is now 16) and those diapers were always white. Good luck with your fabric. Insurance companies are great at collecting the premiums but not so great at paying when they should!

Boston1954

Baking Soda?