Smokey Smelling Mandolin Case

[mandoman98]

Hey all! I'm hoping to get some advice from you all on something. I recently bought a mandolin off of the cafe here and it came in one of those black travelite cases. The previous owner must've been a smoker because the case definitely smells like it. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for how to get of the smell besides just setting it outside to air out. I've been trying that and it hasnt seemed to help. The smell is mostly on the outside. Thanks!

[Ryk Loske]

There's a product called 'Nature's Miracle' that is available lots of places ... especially places that deal with pet supplies. (Think cat piss odor.) I've used it in all kinds of situations with old moldy smelling cases and it's been fantastic. Especially when combined with sunshine. I haven't had to use it for cigarette smoke so i can't testify to that, but i would expect it would work for that as well.
Ryk

[Hockey Puck]

Find volcanic or lava rock odor eliminator - it comes in a mesh bag. Works great.

[MikeEdgerton]

Some past threads on the subject are here. I'm not sure if there's any one answer for this sort of odor.

[Ray(T)]

I’ve come across a few people who smell like that case! Is it a burnt tobacco smell or just a burnt smell? I find that some black plastic sacks smell burnt so it could be the material the case is made of. (We don’t see Travelite cases in the UK so I’ve no direct experience.)

[Jim Garber]

I spilled some gasoline on my shoes one time and bought a product called Nature’s AirSponge. It is a round chunk of this odor reduced but it is non-toxic and biodegradable. I put the shoes in a plastic bag and put it in the garage and it worked great. We also had some horrible dead animal smell and it worked for that too. It says on the package that it works for tobacco smell, too.

You just open the plastic package and put it near the case. It probably would work best to put both in a large trash bag with the case open if possible.

[Nevin]

If it is on the outside of the case a good cleaning should help. A friend had good luck on the inside by putting a cut up apple in a mesh bag for about a week.

[Roger Adams]

In my experience, the best way to remove cigarette smell is soap and water. It is the tobacco tars that cause the smell, and they must be removed, not just covered up. In your case, since the problem seems to be mostly on the exterior, I would zip it up, and wash it using a soft brush, rinse to remove the soap, and let dry in the sunshine.

[Jim Garber]

Definitely try washing the outside and see if that does it. If not try Natures Air Sponge. It is powerful stuff. There is one testimonial from a restaurant owner who had a fire and used it to reduce smoke smell. BTW no financlai interest on my part.

Luckily I found a store near me that actually carries it but you can also get it online. I was amazed that it worked on my gasolined shoes. That is one strong odor.

[Bill Kammerzell]

Gasoline or any fuel/lubricant product is awful. I was in the Merchant Marine as an Engineer, for 28 years. When I left any ship I would toss all my work clothing, pants, shirts, shoes, socks, you name it, into the ship's incinerator. I didn't think there was anything short of Voodoo that would remove the smell of petroleum products.

[gtani7]

I remember a thread here (could have been fiddle, banjo or guitar forums) about ozone treatment for smelly cases/guitars/whatever being effective, along with stern warnings not to inhale a lot of it while your'e running the ozone machine.