New mandolin...smokey case

[coletrickle]

I just purchased a used mandolin from the late 70s early 80s that came with the orignal rectangle case. The previous owner had a smoker in the house so the case smells heavily of smoke (like a bowling alley). Even the mando has a faint smokey musty smell to it. Any suggestions for removing that smell without hurting the finish on the instrument? I really want to bring back that old-wood aroma if possible.

[bradeinhorn]

get a new case - preferabaly a calton.

[labraid]

wreckless endangerment to mandolins... the first ever case brought against Big Tobacco! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Paul Hostetter]

Two possibilities:
1) load it full of baking soda and let it sit in there for a few days; vacuum, repeat.

2) http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20061212213321/www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categoryimages/normal/p-24958-34058-dog.jpg

I buy the one in the middle and put a salvage spray top on it. The stuff is quite amazing. I destunk a whole car with this in two days. It works great for mildew, cat pee and so on. Pet supply places.

[Tim2723]

Leave the instrument out in a dark but airy place where it will be safe and let the stink subside. #If it smells too much you may need to seek professional restoration. #Don't go spraying stuff into the sound holes unless you know exactly what you're doing (wrecked a good ukulele that way!).

The case might be salvagable with a good spray like Fabreeze or other commercial deodorant, but a new case might be in your future. #An original hardshell case can increase the value of an instrument, but only if it doesn't cause other problems. #Make sure there are no critters in the case as well. #Wood lice can be an issue, as can mold and fungus.

If the value of the original case is important to you, you're better off storing it safely away after it's clean and getting a new case anyway, as cases get beat up pretty quickly and you'll want to preserve the value of the original case.

[Russ Jordan]

Put some apple slices in the case for a couple of days.

[Tom C]

It's the tobacco burst. Just take up smoking. You'll never notice it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Tim2723]

I knew somebody was going to say that!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[coletrickle]

How worried should I be about that smell of the case infecting the wood of the mando. I assume that it has been in a smokey house for two decades now as it came from the original owner.

Also, will spraying chemicals like Frabreeze in the case cause a problem when the insturment is put back in? What about cedar chips or something like that? Thanks for all the feedback folks!

[SGraham]

I followed Paul's advice about the baking soda with a tenor guitar that smelled so smoky it made my eyes water. I had to leave it in there for about a week, but it worked fine.

Steve

[thistle3585]

Find an ozone deodorizing machine. They can generally be found at ice rinks or sports complexes. They are also used to deodorize fire fighting equipment. The one at our ice rink costs $10.00 and it takes twenty minutes.

[Paul Hostetter]

Febreze smells as bad as the smoke! Ack! I'm intrigued by this $10 ozone deodorizing machine, though. Care to name names?

[MikeEdgerton]

I have to assume it's similar to this (http://noicingsports.com/hockey_equipment_cleaning_deodorizing_odor_removal .html).

[Paul Hostetter]

OK, first I read this EPA page (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html) (and I think you should too, if this is interesting), then I searched and found quite a few for sale. The cheapest was $50 and ran on four D-batteries. A few started around around $250, but most, however, ran $500 and went way up from there. Obviously worth it for owners of skating rinks. Can I take a guitar case to a skating rink and expect results?

http://www.inspiredliving.com/ozonator/images/ozonator_w_package.jpg http://www.purennatural.com/_prod_images/laoz.jpg

[MikeEdgerton]

The picture on the page I posted didn't look large enough to hold a guitar case or even an open mandolin case. It looks like a nifty idea, I'm wondering if you could build an enclosure that was large enough for an open case.

If I read that ozone page right the answer might be to simply shoot your case and instrument into space or near space to get an ozone treatment. This may be a new business opportunity for Richard Branson.

[thistle3585]

The machine that we have at our rink would easily hold a rectangle mandolin case. There are also dry cleaners that offer this service. You might call your local sports complex or even a fire department and ask them if they deodorize their bunker gear. For $10.00, I think its worth investigating.

I was going to buy a machine to put in a rink, but my rink beat me to it. There is always a line of parents waiting to use the machine on the weekends or after practices. If you aren't a hockey player, or parent, you probably don't realize how bad hockey equipment smells. Especially leather gloves and skates which are the two items you can't run through a washing machine, and smell the worst. My wife has banned my equipment from the house unless I am bringing it in to wash. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[hdfixer]

A nice fix for a stinky instrument is a very small piece of Tibetan dark amber resin inside a sound hole. It won't mess up glues or finish, and won't make the instrument smell totally woody again, but it will effectively permeate the instrument and case with a very pleasing woody / waxy old-timey scent. It has helped me a few times with old guitars, I specifically remember an old Dobro that was almost unplayable due to dead cig reek that this treatment really helped.

I bought the amber here: http://www.tenzingmomo.com/our_history.htm

and there is a nice selection here:
http://www.edenbotanicals.com/crystallized.html#amber

It's really strong stuff so only use a piece the size of a large match head.

[MikeEdgerton]

I think I'd rather get rid of the smell than mask it with another. YMMV. The ozone machine looks promising.

[labraid]

How is Ozone Harmful?

The same chemical properties that allow high concentrations of ozone to react with organic material outside the body give it the ability to react with similar organic material that makes up the body, and potentially cause harmful health consequences. When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs (see - "Ozone and Your Health" - www.epa.gov/airnow/brochure.html). Relatively low amounts can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and, throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections. People vary widely in their susceptibility to ozone. Healthy people, as well as those with respiratory difficulty, can experience breathing problems when exposed to ozone. Exercise during exposure to ozone causes a greater amount of ozone to be inhaled, and increases the risk of harmful respiratory effects. Recovery from the harmful effects can occur following short-term exposure to low levels of ozone, but health effects may become more damaging and recovery less certain at higher levels or from longer exposures (US EPA, 1996a, 1996b).

Yeah, my folks run these things all around their house, I go around turning them off secretly cause they can't even notice the whole joint reaks of "electricity". If you use it, use it til the odors die (meaning ozone is all reacted, used up), then turn it off, or you might.