How to De-Smell yarn??

[CrochetAddicted74]

I am wondering from you experts out here, if anyone knows of a good way to "de-smell" yarn that has an odor. Like musty, basementy , old church wood kinda smell...???

Thanks

Robin:cheer

[yarncat]

Place it in a bag with a dryer sheet.It may work,it may not,depending on how "smelly" the yarn is.

[queenmaxine]

I just purchased some wool on ebay that the seller admittedly knew nothing about. I was concerned after the fact that it might arrive and have lived with a smoker. This was not the case, but it is all rather old and musty. Smells like it has come out of grandma's attic.

 

I put a few cones into a kitchen trash bag with a couple of dryer sheets. This seems to have helped. I am making a scarf with some of it now and the scarf has a hint of old and a hint of dryer sheet. I will likely dry clean the scarf when I am done with it.

 

I think I might now let the cones sit out in the sun this afternoon.

 

The materials of the various cones range from chenille to boucle and just plain, but I am not sure if they are wool, cotton, synthetic or what. Any ideas would be appreciated on how to determine this. I think I might make a swatch scarf with a few inches of each kind and then wash and dry it measuring it before and after to see how it handles.

 

OK. Time to go before I babble away on some other tangent.

[Alosha]

I use a spray called "Zero Odor". It is advertised for pet odors, but works on just about anything. After I spray the yarn & let it dry, I put it in a bag with dryer sheets iuntil I'm ready to use it.

Alosha

[xantha]

if you have a nice sunny day, put it outside. it works wonders! most of the other options (febreze, dryer sheets) just cover up the scent.

 

if that doesn't work, you could wash it, but it's a real hassle.

[MaryPat]

Try Febreeze. I sprayed it on some old magazines from a smoker's house and the smell went.

[Natasha]

If you can't try the sun right now, try placing the yarn in an open paper bag, then place the bag upright in a plastic tub with a couple of inches of clean clay kitty litter. Cover the tub tightly and check on the smell factor after a couple of days. People use this method with musty old books and dolls all the time...can't imagine why it wouldn't work with yarn.

[mrsfrenchy3]

Try a product called "nok-out" it's great - completely eliminated the smell of smoke from a sofa that came from a 5 pk a day smoker.

 

http://www.nokout.com/

 

it really works!!!

[CrochetAddicted74]

Thanks you all! I have febreeze and dryer sheets on me, so I'll try that first. I'm hoping once I make some stuff washing it will help if everything else fails. lol.

 

 

Robin

[carrieanne]

I've always heard that baking soda helps too. Maybe put an open box in a garbage bg too, and seal it for a while?

[losingmymind2]

There is a lot you can do...charcoal, like you use in the bbq removes odors also, just put some in a sealed container with the yarn, don't let the yarn touch it so it doesn't smudge and it should remove odors naturally. We use charcoal to remove odors from fish tanks, so if it helps fishy smells, it should help stinky yarn. As far as a spray, my favorite is Clorox FreshCare. It really seems to remove the funk.

[southwind]

lol-I was on the phone with her when she discovered the smell, LMAO, I about , tinkled in my pants I was laughing so hard!

[CrochetAddicted74]

Oh you wouldn't have laughed if you had been in the car LOL.....beware I may send you a pretty pink hat.

 

 

Robin

[southwind]

BEWARE the yarn faerie if she trys to give you something PINK!!!

[Tikki]

I'm glad to hear about other methods of odor control, especially the various sprays because I don't like perfumy smells and it would be great to have some alternative to Fabreze.

 

However, I recently deodorized a bagful of yarn by using it. Instead of spraying it directly on the yarn, I got a couple of old T-shirts, sprayed it on them, balled them up and layered them with the yarn. It removed the musty smell but the Febreze, uh, stink, didn't linger on the yarn. Yay!

[pkock]

I got a bunch of leftover yarn through freecycle that smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. I'm a former smoker, and I think we're even more sensitive than those who have never smoked. I doused it really well with Febreze and let it sit for about 6 hours in the sunshine and it smells just fine now.

[jacqui]

I don't know if this will work but if you wash it and add a good splash of lemon juice or vinegar thats what i use to get the smell out of dog hair before i spin it.