Ok, I've read through the forum topic on cleaning and repairing feathers which was awesome info ;D, but it didn't say much about getting rid of musty smells in feathers...and I don't think I can wash marabou, peacock, and whatever the heck my feather circlet is made from.
I have two marabou and peacock fans that I perform belly dance with and they were recently taken out of one of those plastic tubs and they now smell like my grandmother's attic! :'( Also, I have a feather head wreath that has the same issue. Both were stored with a cedar block, which evidently wasn't enough to absorb the mustiness. I live in an older home that is prone to feel damp at times when the weather changes. Without the cost of going out and buying a dehumidifier, I'm not really sure how I can keep my feathers in tip-top shape. Any ideas?
Spray them with Febreeze... then pack them back in new ziplocks with a fabric sheet on each side and some potpourri.
Febreeze was the first thing I reached for actually, it didn't help much, guess I should have mentioned that...I just ended up with musty and damp feather fans that smell like old "white linen" :D
Oldy but a goody, mothballs!
And dryer sheets are awesome for tons of stuff. Non-perfume.
The Febreeze wont do anything immediately to the odor....it's to kill whatever is causing the odor.... the key is trapping them inside the ziplocks with the fabric sheets and potpourri.
I played hockey for years so I'm pretty skilled in removal of odors. LOL
The key is to stop what is causing it...then mask or remove the odor. Some fresh pine needles would do good also. (Not easy to find... depending on where you live).. The pine oil gets stronger when sealed up.
For the fans you can give them a dunk in water, and lay them out in the open position then give them a good shake when they are dry. And they will be good as new.
As for the wreaths you could give them a spray of perfume, or an essentail oil blend.
Also leave them out for a while and the smell will go away eventually.
When I store feathers I have like 4 packages of the cedarballs in the container so that no one feels left out lol
Two great ways to kill the germies that cause the smell are sunlight and the freezer (if you have space to set your doodads in there without crushing them of course- i never do). Once the mildew (usual cost of musty smell) is killed, then the smell will dissipate more quickly.
For the record, ceder blocks are great for keeping BUGS away, but they don't really do much for mold/mildew, hehe. Try saving the little desiccant packs out of stuff you buy and throw those in your tubs with your feathers- they'll help control the humidity better.
awesome! thanks for all the tips!