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fabric id & "smell" question

Ok, I am still working on the ?new? sewing room and have a couple of questions Fabric will be stored on the shelves of various storage units (hopefully neatly folded and organized)with curtains in front of each unit to both protect it from light/dirt and make the whole room look ?neat? for the SO. I want to try prevent that musty, ?been sitting around? odour that stash fabric sometimes gets - esp. since this is a basement - and I am kicking around several ideas and would like any input you may have to avoid this. I was thinking that I could attach dryer sheets to the backside of the curtains thereby providing a pleasant scent without actual contact with the stash, or perhaps spraying the backside of the curtains with FEBREZE or a similar product ? dryer sheets would be cheaper but would there be a difference in staying power? All thoughts and comments are welcome, I DO know how to use the delete button  Next question is on fabric identification. At the bottom of a stash pile I found some satiny fabric that I cannot identify. I am thinking it might be some lining I picked up on clearance -just in case-but I am not sure as I do not make a lot of items that require lining. Is there a way to tell if this is just satiny fabric or lining? In the long run it probably doesn?t matter but it would nice to know what it is.

Thanks elaine

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Reply to
earhtmother
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Ok? What/whom are you responding to?

Try cedar balls:

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lavender sachets:
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To help prevent mold and/or dampness, desiccants:
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Establish what the fiber is first:

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use it for whatever suits your purpose and the fabric's properties.

Reply to
nobody

for the SO.

That's a fungal odor that develops as the fungi grow in the fabric. Keep the fabric at a constant temperature and a low relative humidity, and the fungi don't grow.

Once you get one type of fungi growing, the water of metabolism increases the local relative humidity, and a different species starts growing, so you get a whole fungal succession going on, culminating with mildew and fabric getting weaker from fungal enzymes like cellulase.

Odor is not the problem. Rot is. Neither dryer sheets nor Febreeze is going to help. Get the fabric out of the basement and into good, dry storage.

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Reply to
Kay Lancaster

wasn?t responding to anyone was just a word.

All sound suggestions but what are they safe to have in direct contact with the fabric and if not how do I go about using them?

http://www.ditzypr>That's a fungal odor. Odor is not the problem. Rot is. Get the fabric out of

the basement and into good, dry storage.

If I had another place to store it I would move it in a heartbeat, but there is no other area to store it in. As for it being fungus, I suppose you could be correct as some of the fabric is 15+ years old, however I am not convinced as the odour washes out and I have garments made from it that 4/5 years later are still in excellant shape.

keep the ideas coming elaine

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Reply to
earhtmother

If I had another place to store it I would move it in a heartbeat, but

Do you gave a good dehumidifier you can put in the storage area. that will remove the moisture in the air surrounding the fiber andhopefully keep it dry enough to prevent the odor. Anything else is just a cover up. You say you have no place else to store it so you have to keep the area dry. Don't forget that you have to keep a dehumidifier running

24/7. That means emptying it. it's the only way I can keep my sewing room and stash from getting musty. The fabric that you have no use for I'd give away to someone who can use it. Why keep something you can not use. Juno
Reply to
Juno B

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