The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Crafts => Topic started by: Lesley Silvester on January 14, 2015, 05:54:26 pm

Title: Smelly fleeces
Post by: Lesley Silvester on January 14, 2015, 05:54:26 pm
I have just been given six fleeces of various sorts, including a couple of Jacobs and I'm very grateful for them. The only problem is that they smell strongly of cigarette. Bearing in mine that I don't have a bath to soak them in and, in any case, the weather is hardly drying weather, has anyone any ideas how I can reduce or eliminate the smell?  One was wet in the bottom of a plastic bag so I left in in the tiny conservatory with the door open to dry it out but the smell linger on.
Title: Re: Smelly fleeces
Post by: nutterly_uts on January 14, 2015, 07:32:26 pm
I am not a fleece crafter so this may be a ridiculous idea, but would coating it/brush in bicarb of soda then shaking it out well work? Its pretty good for general smells
Title: Re: Smelly fleeces
Post by: devonlady on January 15, 2015, 11:00:15 am
Febeeze may help?
Title: Re: Smelly fleeces
Post by: Fleecewife on January 15, 2015, 11:29:35 am
Ugh - I hate that smell  :P

Once you can wash them and if you use a scented scour then of course the smell will go.  Otherwise, do you have somewhere you can sort them, which will at least let you see how much is useable.  That would reduce the volume.  Then you may be able to wash smaller batches at a time in a bucket.  I dry mine indoors in the winter, in the boiler room.

Meanwhile, is there somewhere you can store them away from your living area so the smell doesn't spread to everything else?  It may well be worth changing the bags they are in too.  I have a lavender room spray which I would use to spray over the lot - it's water based so won't leave a residue.
Title: Re: Smelly fleeces
Post by: Greenerlife on January 15, 2015, 12:09:30 pm
Perhaps put them in pillow cases and spray the outside?
Title: Re: Smelly fleeces
Post by: Lesley Silvester on January 15, 2015, 11:38:17 pm
I asked Diane (Murmuring Wheel) who was teaching the workshop I was at today, and she suggested putting a dish of bicarb near them so I might try this first.


DL, I wondered about Febreeze but wasn't sure if it would hurt them so Greenerlife's idea of spraying the outside of a pillow case might work.


FW, I hadn't thought about picking them over. I usually do that on a sheet on our sitting room floor but don't want the smell to go into the carpet so I think it will be the dining room laminate floor and hope the dogs keep off it (don't want the dogs smelling of fags as well).


I'll let you all know how it goes.