musty smell in hardshell case

[cumin]

I recently purchased a used Weber Bitterroot, and discovered a musty smell in the case that transfers to the mando. I didn't notice this at first because the shop couldn't find the case right away and sent me home with a complimentary gigbag.

I got a good deal and I like the mando, but I would like to make this problem go away. There is no visible water damage, it is more like the case was stored in a damp basement and absorbed the odors (on the inside of the case though).

Any suggestions?

[Jonathan James]

Febreeze?

[steve V. johnson]

Make absolutely sure that it's dry, like leaving it in a warmed room for a day, with a hygrometer so you know just what the ambient humidity is, then use Febreeze or Smells-B-Gone inside it. It may take a couple of applications.

Or, you could go back to the shop and swap out the case. Even if they have to order one, they ought to satisfy you.
If they won't go right to Weber. They're wonderfully nice folks, and in my experience, work hard to make sure folks are satisfied.

stv

[Jim Garber]

Hmmmm... I had that problem with my vintage Gibson and tried all sort s of things like spraying with Lysol and leaving it out in the sun on a dry day. It was so bad that I couldn't play the mandolin without choking due to allergies to mold/mildew. I finally bought a new case.

In your case, however, I would contact the store and return the case. They should make good on it. For a brand new mandolin you should not have to put up with that. They should either get you a new, non-musty case or else refund the price of a replacement.

Jim

[Tom C]

I know somebody with an electric bass who has the same problem. In fact I know who's it was 20 years ago -with the same problem then. It's passed through 4 owners who were not able to get rid of smell.

[Jim Garber]

Oops! I miread your initial post. This is a used instrument -- I thought it was new. Maybe you can explain the situation to the store and can work something out. Otherwise, you can just get a new case for it.

Jim

[Bob DeVellis]

If it has a mildew smell, your chances of getting rid of it are pretty slim. I've had cases like this and tried everything: drying out, Fabreze, carpet deoderant, sneeker deoderant, baking soda, Lysol, antifungal powder. They help a bit but nothing totally gets rid of that smell. Exposure to high humidity makes it considerably worse as it promotes mold proliferation. The good news is that the instruments that smelled like the cases they were in do seem to lose the smell when stored out of the case -- another reason to regulate atmospheric humidity and, if feasible, store instruments out of their cases.

[glauber]

Get rid of the case. Return it. If they won't take it, buy a new case; travelite seems to be reliable and cheap.

[steve in tampa]

Put it out open in the hot summer sun for a couple of days to air out .Don't spray a bunch of stuff in it. All that stuff will end up on the instrument.
If the hot sun does not work, replace the case.

[Milan Christi]

I second the motion for getting a new case - I just got a Travelite and I think it's terrific. I doubt that you'll get rid of that smell.

[HarmonyRexy]

If something happens that you cannot get a new case, I'll tell you what I did on my musty case.

I made sure that there was no moisture in the case. Then I took a washcloth and sprayed it with OdoBan. I folded it and slid it into a ziplock bag in which I'd poked several small holes in one side. Then I placed it overnight in the case with the holes up..... later, I turned over the case, and placed the bag inside again with the holes up. I did that for 2 or 3 days... and then that was the end of it.
That way, the OdoBan's moisture wasn't added to the case and there was no funky residue to get on my mandolin then it finally got to inhabit the case.
We got the OdoBan from Sam's Club.

[mas746]

how about a good ol box of baking soda in there for a few days. works in the fridge, right?

[glauber]

I don't think barking soda will get rid of mold (though it may help with the smell). Mold is pretty nasty stuff and almost impossible to kill.

[Ken Berner]

Oh no, not that old high lonesome smell again! We played a restaurant once, that had a poor air filtration system, and the aroma left in my mandolin case was not pleasant. Yes, dryer sheets closed up in the case (sans mando) and fresh air would probably do the trick. I agree that, if it is some sort of mold causing the unpleasant essence, you may not get rid of it. Personally, I would not spray anything in my case for fear of a chemical reaction bothering the finish on my mandolin. Anyway, it took a couple of months to rid my case of grease trap odor.

[GBG]

Leave the case open for several days out in the alley around a bunch of stray tom cats. You'll never again notice any musty odor.

[Django Fret]

Based on a Web search, it seems that ultraviolet light can kill molds. If that is true, I wonder if a small battery-powered flashlight or mini lantern left inside a musty case would be able to kill the mold?

There seem to be quite a few of them on the market from $20-$50, so it wouldn't be an expensive way to find out. I would think that as long as it didn't generate too much heat, it would probably be OK to leave it inside a case, and there wouldn't be any residue to worry about.

Has anyone ever tried this before?

[Tom C]

You can not but a ultraviolet flashlight of any kind. If you look at it for even a very short time you will get eye damage. They are used for salt water fish tanks to kill everything in the water that passes through it. It is very contained.

[Scotti Adams]

..I second the Baking soda idea....has worked for me...

[BlueMountain]

Is this by any chance one of those cases that are shaped plastic on the outside with an aluminum strip all around with a channel in it? I have a dobro in a case like that. I bought the case used, by eBay, and it had a weird, sort of sweet smell to it. I left it out in the summer sun for a few days, but it didn't help. Finally I just used it the way it is. Everyone notices the smell of my dobro when I get it out, but I hate to buy a new case. I THINK the problem is that the inside of that plastic case is filled with a spray foam, and in some of these cases the mixture wasn't quite right, and the foam is deteriorating and out-gassing. If that's the case, sunlight won't help.

[Strange1]

First thing...........make sure you didn't leave a pair of your old socks in the case. If you didn't, then put a pair in there and let them fight it out.

Jack

[toddjoles]

Isn't Gibson charging abour $30,000 for a new mando with that smell?

[mandowilli]

I kinda like the mutsy smell!
But getting my old Gibson out of the original case and into a new one did get rid of it.

[cumin]

Well, a progress report: I put a lot of cornstarch ( a substitute for baking soda recommended by the guy who sold me the case, left it in the sun on my porch for two days. Smell still there, so I got some Febreze (fabric smell remover), sprayed it dierctly on the fabric, and am waiting for the solvent smell to go away completely before letting my mandolin touch the fabric. I keep the mando outside the case, so it won't need to go back in the case for weeks or months.

If the Febreze doesn't ultimately work, then I decide if I live with it or get a new case.

[glauber]

If it's mold, is there any chance of the mold transferring to the mandolin? I'm mostly a flute player, and with flutes that's a high degree of danger because of the amount of moisture involved in playing a flute. Mandolin is probably may be less hospitable to the mold than the case, but i personally wouldn't risk it. I'm sure someone here knows better than i do about this, though.

[Michael Lewis]

Contact Dave Cohen, he has a PHD in chemistry. There are some strong chemicals that will kill mold, like bleach, but how you clean up the bleach may be a problem. Take the case to a nuclear power plant and get it irradiated. That would kill the mold, or maybe make it mad.