Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh). What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!


--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On Jun 2, 9:52*am, Steve Barker wrote:
Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? *The sumps
fail. *So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. *I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh). *What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

First thought is anything that is bleachable, wash it using that.
And air drying outside for a couple days could help.

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On 6/2/2011 9:33 AM, wrote:
On Jun 2, 9:52 am, Steve wrote:
Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh). What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

First thought is anything that is bleachable, wash it using that.
And air drying outside for a couple days could help.

noted, and THANKS!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On Jun 2, 2:52*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? *The sumps
fail. *So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. *I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh). *What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

A soaking in vinegar can help. Last resort this one though if all
else fails.

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On Jun 2, 8:52*am, Steve Barker wrote:
Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? *The sumps
fail. *So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. *I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh). *What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

A Febreze spray might help; it seems to work on many stubborn smelly
things. Even gym sox.

Joe

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:52:02 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh).

Have you tried drying them yet? With a heated tumle dryer, not just
the sun, I think.

I had a jackass roommate, who, when the steam radiator in his room
leaked, didn't bother to tell me and took MY thermal blanket from the
closet and used it to soak up the water from the floor, damaged the
parquet, and thought he was being gracious when he offerred to throw
the blanket away.

I washed it in the autmoatic washer, and things looked bleak when it
smelled just as bad.

Then I dried it in the automatic dryer, probably on a low temperature
even, but it was a commercial dryer in a big apartment building and I
don't really remember how hot it got, but you can always start low and
go higher, and it came out smelling brand new.

What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

BTW I didn't use any bleach or anything but detergent. And something
was going on with the blanket because parts came out without any
color. The dryer was no hotter than a home dryer can get.

Please let me know how it turns out. I've always wondered how
generally effective this is, since it worked so great the one time.
Remove NOPSAM from my email address.


P&M

On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:52:02 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh).

Have you tried drying them yet? With a heated tumle dryer, not just
the sun, I think.

I had a jackass roommate, who, when the steam radiator in his room
leaked, didn't bother to tell me and took MY thermal blanket from the
closet and used it to soak up the water from the floor, damaged the
parquet, and thought he was being gracious when he offerred to throw
the blanket away.

I washed it in the autmoatic washer, and things looked bleak when it
smelled just as bad.

Then I dried it in the automatic dryer, probably on a low temperature
even, but it was a commercial dryer in a big apartment building and I
don't really remember how hot it got, but you can always start low and
go higher, and it came out smelling brand new.

What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

Just guessing, but try a load with laundry soap, and a cup
of vinegar. Cures a lot of strange things, vinegar does.
Outdoor clothes line dry.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...

First thought is anything that is bleachable, wash it
using that.
And air drying outside for a couple days could help.

noted, and THANKS!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On 6/2/2011 8:26 PM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
Just guessing, but try a load with laundry soap, and a cup
of vinegar. Cures a lot of strange things, vinegar does.
Outdoor clothes line dry.


Thanks! Already do that as a matter of routine. In the dishwasher also!


--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On 6/2/2011 8:08 PM, mm wrote:
On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:52:02 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh).

Have you tried drying them yet? With a heated tumle dryer, not just
the sun, I think.

I had a jackass roommate, who, when the steam radiator in his room
leaked, didn't bother to tell me and took MY thermal blanket from the
closet and used it to soak up the water from the floor, damaged the
parquet, and thought he was being gracious when he offerred to throw
the blanket away.

I washed it in the autmoatic washer, and things looked bleak when it
smelled just as bad.

Then I dried it in the automatic dryer, probably on a low temperature
even, but it was a commercial dryer in a big apartment building and I
don't really remember how hot it got, but you can always start low and
go higher, and it came out smelling brand new.

What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!



Well if there's ONE thing i've learned through all this research is to
NOT dry ANYthing until the stains AND smells are gone. Drying sets
whatever problem there is.


--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:41:28 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

On 6/2/2011 8:08 PM, mm wrote:
On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:52:02 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh).

Have you tried drying them yet? With a heated tumle dryer, not just
the sun, I think.

I had a jackass roommate, who, when the steam radiator in his room
leaked, didn't bother to tell me and took MY thermal blanket from the
closet and used it to soak up the water from the floor, damaged the
parquet, and thought he was being gracious when he offerred to throw
the blanket away.

I washed it in the autmoatic washer, and things looked bleak when it
smelled just as bad.

Then I dried it in the automatic dryer, probably on a low temperature
even, but it was a commercial dryer in a big apartment building and I
don't really remember how hot it got, but you can always start low and
go higher, and it came out smelling brand new.

What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!



Well if there's ONE thing i've learned through all this research is to
NOT dry ANYthing until the stains AND smells are gone. Drying sets
whatever problem there is.

There were no stains. There were white sections where something while
it was wet "ate" the color out of the blanket. It was medium
browish-orange, but parts were white.

But how could you possiblly have accurately learned not to dry
something when there are smells, given my story which I promise you is
accurate. Except it didnt' smell like "new" like I said. I think new
usually has no smell. This smelled like laundry that was washed well
and just came out of the dryer, with some smell from the detergent,
which had more smell in those days. Hey, it surprised me too, but it
worked perfectly.

I used the blanket for at least 10 more years and it never smelled bad
at all. I washed it on occasion and it never smelled bad, or
noticeably, between the washer and the dryer.

Please let me know what you do and if it works.

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On 6/2/2011 9:41 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
On 6/2/2011 8:08 PM, mm wrote:
On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:52:02 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh).

Have you tried drying them yet? With a heated tumle dryer, not just
the sun, I think.

I had a jackass roommate, who, when the steam radiator in his room
leaked, didn't bother to tell me and took MY thermal blanket from the
closet and used it to soak up the water from the floor, damaged the
parquet, and thought he was being gracious when he offerred to throw
the blanket away.

I washed it in the autmoatic washer, and things looked bleak when it
smelled just as bad.

Then I dried it in the automatic dryer, probably on a low temperature
even, but it was a commercial dryer in a big apartment building and I
don't really remember how hot it got, but you can always start low and
go higher, and it came out smelling brand new.

What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!



Well if there's ONE thing i've learned through all this research is to
NOT dry ANYthing until the stains AND smells are gone. Drying sets
whatever problem there is.


Leaving the clothes wet is probably the worst thing you can do.
Cotton can rot and feed mold and bacteria growth. You wash and bleach
out stains and dry. May have to some repeatedly but with most of your
fabrics containing some cotton, you should not leave it sitting around wet.

Flooded basement need laundry tips
 

On Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:52:02 -0500, Steve Barker
wrote:

Ok, so i neglect a vacant house all winter and guess what? The sumps
fail. So now i have many sterlite tubs full of clothes (that my wife
would prefer to salvage some of) that smell like stagnant water. I've
kept everything wet, still in the tubs, but even after regular washing
they still smell. (duh). What's gonna be a good procedure to salvage
some of the more important items without a smell?

thanks!

Try adding Borax in a wash. I've used 20muleteam brand.