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Thread: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

  1. #1
    Registered User Bonniej's Avatar
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    Question Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    There is a distinct odor of men's cologne I guess in the wood. The guy I bought it from must have worn a lot of cologne. Probably on his hands so I bet on the fretboard too. The finish is perfect so nothing was spilled on it. The case has no odor. both the Mando and case are in excellent condition.
    I've tried keeping it out of the case for a few days. I was thinking of trying Febreze- spray it on a towel and let it dry well and then laying it over the Mando - I think not directly on the wood though just in case the chemical may damage the lacquer- maybe a clean towel between the Febreze towel and the Mando.
    Suggestions appreciated.
    Bonnie
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    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Hi Bonnie, I know a bit about care of wood products and wood finishes, but not much about Febreze itself. In my opinion, it is highly doubtful that wiping your mandolin with a rag that has been lightly dampened with Febreze will harm the finish on your mandolin. I very much doubt that it contains anything with enough volatility in enough quantity to hurt the finish, provided you wipe it down, then soon again wipe it with a clean cloth in order to remove any residual moisture. There is a great deal more danger in leaving a cloth with any chemical draped over the mandolin for any length of time. Draping and leaving a cloth would tend to trap moisture and other chemicals, and in time damage will be done to wood finishes when moisture, or chemicals, is trapped near the surface. So, you might try wiping the mandolin with Febreze then cleaning it with a clean dry rag, and leaving it exposed to the air a bit - but I would discourage your plan of putting a cloth over it and leaving it there.
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Fabreze will mask the smell as will coffee. It needs to air out. Try filling the inside with rice (uncooked please) and see if it absorbs any of the smell. I might consider some sort of low voltage blower like a computer fan with a duct blowing air into the body cavity and a method of exhausting the air as well. You can wash what is on the outside off with a damp cloth, it's the inside where the bare wood is that is most likely harboring the smell. The case should also be left open to air out. This isn't our usual mandolin smell issue. Good luck.
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    mandolin slinger Steve Ostrander's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Like Mike said, wipe the mandolin down with a damp micro fiber cloth. I would not use Febreze. Check the case to make sure the smell is not coming from the case fabric. Try putting a packet of activated charcoal inside the mandolin, tied to a string for easy retrieval. Or in the case, if that's the source of the odor.
    Living’ in the Mitten

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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    I had an RJ Reynolds scented ukulele that I fixed with the rice trick. Lots of shaking. Won't be so easy to empty with f holes. The remainder of the smell in the dirty finish went away with a light maguires polishing compound rub on the outside.
    Now it smells like vintage Martin cedar braces..

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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    ... This isn't our usual mandolin smell issue. ....
    Which, I suspect, is a polite way of saying, "Consider yourself lucky!"
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    I've used dryer sheets like Bounce for a musty odor in old case with somewhat reasonable results. It did take a while though. Although I've not tried it, a friend said he used cedar chips to remove old cigarette smoke smell from a guitar that he purchased; he did say that that method took some time as well. I think the biggest problem to overcome is the need to keep the instrument humidified while attempting remove odors. I believe that the humidity tends to hold the odors in. If you know of a good luthier, they may have a solution for you.

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    Registered User Bonniej's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    So true - a lot worse smells out there. I just detected that the smell is only on the fretboard and not on the body. The next string change I'll clean the fretboard and hopefully that will take care if it.
    Thanks for all the suggestions.
    Bonnie
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    When I bought my Weber it had spent a lot of time around cigarette smoke. How I got rid of the odor was this:

    1) Wiped down all surfaces with a barely damp microfiber cloth. This got off all of the exterior surface "gunk."
    2) I purchased one of those baking soda "stick on" plastic dohickies (designed to stick onto the interior of your fridge, trash can, etc - A & H brand). The plastic housing snaps apart, leaving you with a pouch filled with baking soda. I placed it inside the case with the mandolin (under where the neck meets the body). I noticed a difference right away, but it really took about 2 weeks for all of the cigarette smell to go away.

    Can't hurt....might help.

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  13. #10

    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    I recently purchased an older mandolin and it had kind of a musty smell, I wiped the exterior down and left it out of the case and left the case open and that seems to have worked.
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    Registered User Matt Harris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Quote Originally Posted by TC-in-NC View Post
    When I bought my Weber it had spent a lot of time around cigarette smoke. How I got rid of the odor was this:

    1) Wiped down all surfaces with a barely damp microfiber cloth. This got off all of the exterior surface "gunk."
    2) I purchased one of those baking soda "stick on" plastic dohickies (designed to stick onto the interior of your fridge, trash can, etc - A & H brand). The plastic housing snaps apart, leaving you with a pouch filled with baking soda. I placed it inside the case with the mandolin (under where the neck meets the body). I noticed a difference right away, but it really took about 2 weeks for all of the cigarette smell to go away.

    Can't hurt....might help.

    I did something similar. Filled tea bags with baking soda and stuck them through the F holes and hung them inside the mandolin. It worked pretty well. Took some time, but most definitely helped quite a bit.
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    I have two mandolins bought used that have ladies' perfume smell. One I bought about a year ago is now almost all gone. The other, bought two months ago, is still pretty noticeable. I didn't do anything other than leave them in the case with the case open. Maybe if I got the stronger one of mine together with yours, they would sort of hit it off and, you know, neutralize?

    If I really objected to the aroma, I would try the baking soda in a teabag trick first. Sounds highly reasonable.
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    Registered User Bonniej's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    I've never seen the baking soda dohickies- they'd be good for all lots of odor problems.
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    Registered User Bonniej's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Hank,
    There must be a lot of folks out there who are heavy on the perfumes and colognes. They may have a nice fragrance when on the body but sure are yucky on anything else.
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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Well,it's a heck of a sight better than smelling of a lot of things that come to mind !!.

    As an amusing (sort of) story,a couple of weeks ago,one of our cats suffered from Cystitis (couldn't pee).The poor animal was in great discomfort & distress. As he's always with me,he was in my PC / practice room & i had my TKL case open,flat on my bedroom floor. He decided that it was a pretty good alternative to his litter tray & i caught him just as he was about to try another squirt. There was almost nothing there,but having washed out the case with soapy water & allowed it to dry,i sprayed the bottom of the case with a touch of 'Givenchy' men's collogne - my Lebeda smells pretty great right now !!.

    My cat 'Russell' is fully recovered & smells of nothing but warm fur,
    Ivan
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    Last edited by Ivan Kelsall; Feb-12-2017 at 3:48am.
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    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Quote Originally Posted by Bonniej View Post
    There must be a lot of folks out there who are heavy on the perfumes and colognes.
    Strange thing, that, especially considering the prices. I tried several brands of cologne in the past, but the wife kept saying it does not go with my metabolism. Thinking what does go with my metabolism, I arrived on a cheap and working solution and I am successfully applying it here and there, now and then.
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    A few years back I bought my son a beautiful Ibañez Artcore custom shop semi-acoustic guitar from a guy selling due to chronic arthritis. The guy used to frequent a lot of jazz clubs and private jams, and must have used a lot of weed as a pain killer.
    When you open the case there's a massive waft of weed hits you. Because he was only about 14 when I got him the guitar I warned him about it and said why it was there, so he didn't get caught out in school with teachers assuming it was his. I offered to put a couple of Odor-eaters in there (one in the case interior and one in the guitar). Needless to say I was forbidden from doing anything which might remove the smell. I've warned him that if he's travelling anywhere the Ibañez stays at home and he takes the LesPaul or the Strat. You wouldn't even need a sniffer dog to know that was passing.

    Anyway, (related to Ivan's experience but too late) what worked with a different rank odour in a friends mandolin and case, was an odor-eater shoe liner inside a sock in the case, and another just popped inside the instrument with a bootlace attached tackled the interior.
    Was gone after a few weeks.
    Eoin



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  23. #18
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    I've found that the sachets of Lavender petals used to put in drawers containing bed linen,work perfectly,but the Odor-eater scenario is pretty good as well -if required. But please use NEW ones,not the ones from one's shoes !!!,
    Ivan
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  24. #19
    fishing with my mando darrylicshon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    Well,it's a heck of a sight better than smelling of a lot of things that come to mind !!.

    As an amusing (sort of) story,a couple of weeks ago,one of our cats suffered from Cystitis (couldn't pee).The poor animal was in great discomfort & distress. As he's always with me,he was in my PC / practice room & i had my TKL case open,flat on my bedroom floor. He decided that it was a pretty good alternative to his litter tray & i caught him just as he was about to try another squirt. There was almost nothing there,but having washed out the case with soapy water & allowed it to dry,i sprayed the bottom of the case with a touch of 'Givenchy' men's collogne - my Lebeda smells pretty great right now !!.

    My cat 'Russell' is fully recovered & smells of nothing but warm fur,
    Ivan
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Russell.JPG 
Views:	113 
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ID:	153916
    Reminds me of years ago my cat came up on the couch and started to pee in my case i had just put down, he had never done anything like that before, i was about the push him away when i noticed blood, poor cat was telling me he had problems, i took him to the vet right away and my vet said one more day and he would have died. He lived many years after that to the age 18
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  26. #20
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Well spotted Daryl. Unusual behaviour in our animal companions is always worth investigating. They can't tell us these things,so we have to be a tad more vigilant on their behalf,
    Ivan
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    There are people who are sensitive to such odors,,I know I am,,all that stuff is artificial chemicals that folks slather themselves in,,the smells can give me a migrain,but I think people using it get desensitized to it and use it more and thicker on themselves,,a friend of mine came over the other day to pick up some artwork,,he was in my living room maybe 15 minutes,,when he left,I could smell cheap cologne all day long in the room,,

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    Registered User Al Trujillo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Quote Originally Posted by Bonniej View Post
    There is a distinct odor of men's cologne I guess in the wood.
    A nurse I work with gave me a hug last week. My wife smelled her perfume when I got home. Sure wish I had seen this thread a week ago.

  29. #23
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Many years ago I worked for a large store chain in Portland, Oregon. Those of you that have lived in Portland for years can guess the chain. I was working Christmas eve and a guy dropped a bottle of wine. I cleaned it up. Later that evening another person dropped a bottle of perfume. I cleaned that up. I can't describe what my wife said when I got home.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  30. #24
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    My brother used to work for a place that made spice extracts (oleoresins), there were two 4oz. jars in the garage. Then there was this "inquisitive" squirrel, knocked the garlic concentrate off and broke the jar, of course, the smell was so strong it brought tears to your eyes! Then my father decided that the pure garlic was just plain evil so, he bravely drizzled some of the oregano oil over it. For ten years people walked u the driveway wondering what was cooking!
    No, no cars were parked in there for many years!
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    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Used Mando smells like men's cologne

    Quote Originally Posted by Timbofood View Post
    My brother used to work for a place that made spice extracts (oleoresins), there were two 4oz. jars in the garage. Then there was this "inquisitive" squirrel, knocked the garlic concentrate off and broke the jar, of course, the smell was so strong it brought tears to your eyes! Then my father decided that the pure garlic was just plain evil so, he bravely drizzled some of the oregano oil over it. For ten years people walked u the driveway wondering what was cooking!
    No, no cars were parked in there for many years!
    Gotta smell it or it didn't happen.
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