Is it wool or synthetic?

You can air it outside in cold weather as well. Like Elizabeth asked, what is it made of?

Once I got rid of nursing home smell on a small chest, by washing it with a strong solution of water and peroxide. You may try using some peroxide on a small corner, and see, if it doesn't mess the fabric up?

Moni

I had assumed it was wool, but now that you ask, I am uncertain. Is there a test to determine which it is?

Maybe soaking it in a Downy rinse?

Febreze! A miracle odor remover IMO. I've used it to successfully remove mold, mildew and all manner of unpleasant odors from fabric as well as from wood furniture that had been stored in my basement for years. I was ready to toss the furniture but thought I'd give it a spray...on a lark. It worked...and saved me a bundle of $$$ in replacement money. If there's an unpleasant odor around...this product will erase it. Also...I've found that it leaves no after aroma once the object you spray has thoroughly dried. I'm quite allergic to perfume aromas so if Fabreze left an after aroma...I wouldn't be able to use it.

Oh no, not Fabreze! While some may swear by it, it can be overwhelming for a lot of people as well as any animals you may have.

Soaking it in hot water with baking soda and/or white vinegar seems to be the wide concensus online, Borax is also something some have used to remove the musty smell.

polyester melts, wool is harder to get started burning.

I have had a problem with Fabreeze as well the few times I've used it. The smell is overwhelming after furniture or rugs are sprayed. Maybe I spray to heavily, but the last time I had to leave the house for awhile. I was mainly trying to disguise a musty odor from my old house that can rear up during periods of wet weather.

I am not a fan of Febreze. If something smells that bad, I launder it. Or dispose of it.

I have found Febreze works well, when I have gotten something with perfume smells. I take it to a well vented area, spray heavy, let dry and then wash it. I also do not care for the Fabreze smell, but it goes away when dry .

Hmmm Either my nose no longer functions or we're using different manufacturer's generation of Febreze. There is no after odor in the product I use. I'd be the first one out the door if that were the case. Perhaps I'm not applying it with the generosity that others spray. I've never sprayed my entire house. Only pieces of fabric or a single piece of furniture. Plus...my container states that it's safe around animals. Guess I've just been lucky...and now glad that I don't need it often or for massive projects.

Not sure what you mean by 'when the weather is better'. If it is raining or snowing, I understand, but if it is just cold, that would be good. I think a good fresh, cold breeze actually does a better job than warm weather.

Any sort of scented product, air freshners, fabric softeners, soaps, lotions, perfumes, etc., can cause some bad reactions for me. But I have found the Febreeze Free works very well, and doesn't cause any reaction at all! ! !

Also, you might try adding some Borax or baking soda to the wash water with your detergent. But I don't recommend hot water as that could ruin your afghan. A good soak in warm water followed by a gentle wash cycle is the way to go.

Good luck, I do hope you can save your afghan! It is a treasure, and it would be a real shame to throw it out!

Rusty

ETA: The picture Amylou posted is the one I use, and I love it!

It's important to first figure out the fabric as wool and synthetics have different laundering practices. I suspect it's synthetic as wool releases odors/soils much easier. If it's synthetic it will require a longer cycle time, hot water, and more water to move around in. Synthetics do not like water... its water resistant. Hot water will help relax and open the fibers more allowing solution to flush out soils/odors. Use a good detergent and hold off on fabric softener until the odors are gone. Fabric softeners can clog up the fibers like wax and prevent a complete clean.

Normally, I wouldn’t advise on the hot water as well, but....if mold spores are the culprit, or even a contributor, you almost have to. The dryer heat is what ruined the first few afghans I made with acrylic yarn. Now I wash them on a gentle cycle and block them to dry.

Because I have both a long haired dog and a cat, both of which are allowed on the furniture, I use the pet odor formula of Febreze (check the spelling, folks!!). And I am rather sensitive to strong, perfumy odors as well but this does not produce any that last more than a few minutes, if that. And I do routinely wash any covers or throw pillow cases or anything else removable and washable. However, my sister knitted me a gorgeous afghan/throw using her leftover yarns that is probably a mix of wool and synthetics that I only have dry cleaned. Much too delicate and valuable to get tossed in a washing machine!!

Ooops! Thanks gardengal. :-)

Regular pinesol can be used in the wash. People use it for musty towels. I wonder if it’s safe for crocheted items. Maybe you call call and see if they know. I use it on pet items along with laundry detergent. The only other thing I can think of is laundry beads.

Vinegar in a presoak

Plain ammonia gets tough odors out of smelly work clothes. Don't know if it can be used on wool or in a top loader.

Ammonia used to be commonly used on wool blankets. Many felt it made wool feel softer but what actually happened was it makes the fine wool threads break which almost gives it a softer feel.

If you can snip a small piece of the yarn (check the beginning, end or colour change -if there is one- for a tail that’s been woven in) you can test to see if it’s wool or acrylic.

If held over a flame wool will char and crumble and stink your house out. Acrylic will melt and shrink up with a little blob on the end.

A less smelly test is to get the kind of bleach that’s thickened for cleaning bathrooms etc and drop a piece of yarn in. Wool will immediately start to lose its colour and in a day or so completely disappear. Acrylic will be unaffected, months later.

Do not wash wool in hot water as it will shrink like crazy and felt up.

Thanks, then ammonia is out for that.

Regards to washing synthetics in HOT water ... such fabrics should be cooled before spinning to avoid setting wrinkles or creases (permanently or temporarily until the next washing). I suppose a crocheted afghan is much less likely to show such effects than wearable garments.

Permanent Press washer cycles back when said fabrics (synthetics and treated cottons) were new washed in hot water (or warm for light soil) but there was a cool down process before the first spin (Whirlpool and Kenmore, and some Maytags) or a long cold spray immediately when spin started (most other brands). Majority of washers nowadays have gotten away from cool downs what with the pushing of low-temp washing but dryers still have cool down periods at the end of the cycle.

Good advice Dadoes.

Yes turn your spin speed down.

Yep wool has special washing requirements but the most important is no enzymes, rinse temp should be same as wash temp, and movement should be almost zero. A designated wool cycle is great because even gentle cycle can be too much movement.

I often add ammonia for rugged clothing. Does anyone know if it is okay to use in a top loader? I don't have one but often use one when I am house sitting.

Ali sure you can use ammonia in a top loader.

You could try putting it in the dryer with woolen dryer balls (or tennis balls) that have been treated with a few drops of essential oil ( I use lavender). You could use an air only cycle if you don't want to dry with heat.

Most of the wool yarn I've worked with has that wet dog smell when it's wet :^)

I had something a few years ago (but am very tired this morning and can't remember what it was) that I could not remove an unpleasant smell from. I sprinkled it liberally with baking soda, folded it, and bagged it up for a few days, and then washed as normal. Smell came out with that, as I recall.

Why not try getting it dry cleaned?

I've had the best luck getting rid of odors by hanging the item outside for a day or two. I have a beautiful quilt that was musty smelling after being stored in an old trunk. I laundered it twice and it still smelled musty. As a last resort, I hung it outside overnight and there was no trace of odor the next morning. My experience has been that this works best on natural fabrics, but it certainly won't hurt to try it.

Years ago, I bought some yardage of quilters cotton that had a musty odor. Vendor was from mildewy Gulf Coast area, I needed this fabric to finish the project, so I did not return it.

I took a chance with filling up our top load washer with hot water, adding one fourth or a half cup of liquid chlorine bleach (no detergent), mixed it well, added the fabric, and let it sit to soak for hours until it cooled. In the end, the odor was gone and I was very relieved.

if the afghan is acrylic yarn, it should survive LCB.

Dry cleaning gives off an awful odor which would require extensive airing out, outdoors. I might air it out on a clothesline several days in a row and then pre-soak with vinegar. Followed by a regular wash and dry. ( If it is acrylic )

Cavimum and Elizabeth are both highly educated in special laundry practices...I'd consider their advice.

I wonder, why Bobbi hasn't come back to tell us what she found out.. wool or synthetic, and also, what she did.

A good dry cleaning establishment will present clothes (and any other dry cleaned items) with NO smell at all. If your clothes smell after dry cleaning, you need to find a better place!

OklaMoni, I haven't been back because my dh came down with a virus and has been running me ragged. This man remains calm in a crisis, yet a minor wound or illness sends him into a tail spin. I have told him should he ever have a serous illness, he's going into a nursing home. OY

The only thing I have done is the singe test, which indicates it is synthetic. In my OP I omitted that the presoak had vinegar. I used about 1 cup in enough water to submerge the blanket completely.

Before I did any more washing, I would just place the afghan over a wood drying rack outside on a sunny day. It can be cold, you just don't want cloudy or any rain. You will have to fold in half lengthwise and place over the top and out to both sides. Bring in when the sun goes down and leave on rack to keep airing in the house. Sunlight kills mold spoors, if that is what it is. You may have an old mothball smell. Mothballs smell musty to me and the sun and fresh air will also remove that.

I wouldn't add any more chemicals to the mix. I think it just needs to air out a time or two. If that doesn't work, you can always go further. I have the acrylic afghans just like yours from the same time period.