PSA: Removing smoke smell effectively

[devellis]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Every time I see someone recommending Febreze to get rid of foul odors from a guitar or guitar case I just sigh and roll my eyes, because all that does is squirt a little chemical-based odor on top of the existing odor. It doesn't help a thing.


whm

I agree that Fabreze is pretty limited in its effectiveness for dealing with tough odors. But it does a bit more than mask them. The idea is that the aerosol droplets have a charge that attracts and clings to airborne particles and the combined weight of particles and droplets causes them to settle on the ground rather than remaining airborne. If the smell is truly floating around in the air, that can work. Of course, for a guitar or case, having the smelly stuff settle in the bottom of the case or onto the guitar isn't much of a remedy. And there is the smell of the Fabreze itself to deal with. But, at least in theory, it does more than merely masking odors by precipitating out the offending particles.

I've used Fabreze on things like stinky carpeting and, if you let the Fabreze odor dissipate and vacuum the carpeting it works reasonably well. But a guitar and/or case, especially with a mildew smell, are way more than Fabreze can remedy. Mildew is really tough stuff to deodorize. Unless all the spores are killed, even if you get rid of the odor initially, it will return when the surfaces are exposed to higher humidity and the spores start germinating again. Nasty stuff.

[duluthdan]

Originally Posted by fazool

You need a significant corona (electrical discharge arc) to create enough ozone to be meaningful. Small, compact units are gimmicks and cannot work..

This little unit I have cost $150, and got good reviews on Amazon
Maybe it is too small a generator - sure can smell the ozone/electric smell. I have been letting my case sit out in the mountain sun nearly every day this summer, and nada. Maybe the ozone machine I have is not powerful enough to do its thing. I leave Bamboo Charcoal in it constantly, and some sort of Zeno rock. Still hasn't solved the musty smell.

Maybe smoke is eadier, because you really do have something to remove, but that musty smell needs one to kill the cause.

[DWM]

Fazool's recommendation is right on. I purchased an ozone generator on Amazon for around $100 and have used it on cars, smoked-in rooms and a used guitar and case. While not as powerful as one of the rentals, it has performed very well. I also take careful safety precautions every time I use it! Ozone is a serious respiratory irritant and is dangerous if not handled properly. That said, ozone generators are routinely used by insurance companies to remove fire and cigarette smoke and other odors from cars and household goods as well as on motel rooms. But again, proper safety precautions are a must.

A few things need clarification or emphasis:
1. Fazool's warning about the dangers of ozone must be headed if you are going to use this process. Be sure you avoid breathing the stuff and ventilate well afterwards. It takes time to get all the ozone out. Keep people, pets and plants far away.
2. The link to the warnings about ozone generators is aimed at the old Sharper Image household "air cleaners" that also generated ozone. They were marketed as air cleaners, but because they also put ozone into people's living environment 24-7 they were dangerous to people and pets. It took a lawsuit by Consumers Union to finally get them off the market. This is not the equipment or process being described in Fazool's post. But - see the warning about this process as well. If you are in any way concerned about using an ozone generator just don't do it.
3. Febreeze does in fact contain ingredients that bond with organic odor causing molecules, unlike other deodorizers. So it does more than mask odors, but it's not that effective against mold smells in my experience. Here's the blurb from Wikipedia:

"The active ingredient in Febreeze is hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPβCD). The molecule traps and binds volatilized hydrocarbons within its structural ring, retaining malodorous molecules, which reduces their volatility and thus the perception of their scent. These molecules are derived from corn. The original formula was developed in Plymouth, England. The use of a cyclodextrin as a sprayable odor absorber is patented by Procter & Gamble."


I hope this additional information helps.

[nowgibson]

Used this on a pawn shop prize that smelled of cigarette smoke, spayed in lightly 2 x's a couple of days apart and it got rid of the smell. I tried Fabreeze, baking soda, left case outside for a week....Home Depot has it.
Ingredients

INGREDIENT Water (Solvent); C12-16 Alcohols Ethoxylated 7EO (Surfactant – Cleaning Agent); Ethanol (Solvent); Decyl Glucoside (Surfactant - Nonionic); Lauryl Glucoside (Surfactant - Nonionic); Methylchloroisothiazolinone (Preservative); Alkyl C12-18 Dimethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride (Antimicrobial Agent); Alkyl C12-18 Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride (Antimicrobial Agent); Ethanol (Solvent); Amines, C12-18-alkyldimethyl (Preservative); Fragrance* (Fragrance); Fragrance* (Fragrance); *Fragrance contains ingredients reviewed by IFRA - see IFRA website for more information http://www.ifraorg.org/en-us/ingredients
- See more at: http://www.zepcommercial.com/product....h82impHx.dpuf

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Fazool wrote an excellent, cogent post on the utility of ozonators.

Great post, Fazool. Thanks.

He also wrote this:



Yes. Thank you. Every time I see someone recommending Febreze to get rid of foul odors from a guitar or guitar case I just sigh and roll my eyes, because all that does is squirt a little chemical-based odor on top of the existing odor. It doesn't help a thing.


whm

Well, my solution was some lemon oil on a rag stuffed into the sound hole (which was then blocked off) overnight. It was a permanent, quick solution. And this guitar smelled BAD. Never had a whiff since.


Those who paid attention in Chemistry class, though, may prefer a more complicated solution.

[muscmp]

baking soda is a natural smell remover. that's why you find them in refrigerators. and, people use it on their toothbrush with their toothpaste.
read the label on the box for other uses.

play music!

[fazool]

Baking soda is somewhat effective but the problem with "passive" solutions is that the smell particles have to travel to the material to get absorbed. The baking soda doesn't travel to the smelly particles.

That's the same with any smell absorber. Ozone, by contrast, is an active gas that penetrates all the materials, even the fabrics, etc.

Baking soda and dryer sheets and chemical absorbers can work to an extent but the results are limited and the smells can (not always) come back if they are deep in the padding or lining fabric.

Again, use whatever works. If you have a really, really bad case, $35 for a one-day rental will give you the best possible and available solution.

[Zorker]

Try Atmosklear it works quite well. I know builders and repair guys that use it.

http://maryellenproducts.com/Atmosklear-16oz.html

[fazool]

Get rid of odor with Atmosklear, the #1 rated odor remover on the Market!

Atmosklear is truly an odor-free odor eliminator. Many so-called odor eliminators are really just "air fresheners" that only mask or cover up the problem. Atmosklear removes odor on contact! Plus, it's non-toxic and biodegradable.

Featured in hundreds of newspapers, periodicals and trade magazines, and highlighted on television and radio, Atmosklear Odor Eliminator has established itself as a product of higher quality than anything on the market today. Originally used exclusively by commercial and industrial giants, Atmosklear is now available to you.

Wow, that was a non-descriptive schlocky sales pitch laced with fraudulent claims if I ever heard one. Reminds me of Amway or Shaklee or some other late night infomercial. Maybe Mary Ellen is related to Mary Kay?

I've never heard of anyone ever using it and I doubt builders and repair guys actually have a regular odor remover since they rarely ever need one and although claimed to be the #1 product on the market I've never once heard of it or seen any hint of this while doing deep research into odor removal.

[Axelorox]

Old thread, but has anyone used ozone on nitro-finished guitars? Did it damage or check the finish?

[duluthdan]

I used my small ozonater on 57 J50. Bit it was already crazed everywhere
No other damage noted. Guitar still sounds great. And no loose braces.

[Bridgepin]

Originally Posted by lizzard

This will sound silly but -- it works! For pennies. Get 4 baking potatoes, cut them in half length-wise. Put them in the car (or guitar case). Close it up. and leaving it for a few days. It worked perfectly when my (former) beemer was assaulted by manure.

Yes it does, learned that one from my Grandmother years ago.

[chippygreen]

This has worked for me. Cheap, safe, effective, but takes time.

https://www.amazon.com/California-Ho...e%2C133&sr=8-4

[ruger9]

For milder cases of smoke smell plain old baking soda works great.

I had an acoustic at my mom's for over a year. She is a lifelong chain smoker. The guitar probably only left it's gigbag once in that year (I visit every few months, and am usually busy fixing things while I am there), so that's why the smoke smell wasn't severe.

But I recently brought it home to sell it, and it did smell of smoke. I put 2 of the "freezer" baking soda boxes in it- one inside the guitar and one inside the gigbag under the neck, and let it sit for 2 weeks, and it came out not smelling at all. Easy and cheap, at least for for mild cases.

[UncleJesse]

I rented a small commercial ozone generator from a local rental house to remove tobacco smoke from a guitar. It worked wonders just in 4 hours. I didn't want to run it too long to risk other issues. After that 4 hour treatment and a few weeks of regular playing, it's pretty much gone. Highly recommend ozone generators.