Smoke Odor Removal from Cars

We're assisting the sale of items from a long-time cigar smoking O scaler.  MAJOR issue here.  Wife uses two techniques....neither is 100% effective.  Febreze and outdoor, sunny, windy day airing out!  Some of the items can be washed, but not many.  Besides, if they have a lacquer coating (e.g., unpainted brass), the smell is embedded in the lacquer, apparently. 

 

We've been told about some success with kitty litter, but haven't tried it. Besides, the next complaint will be having the felines litter-aly attracted to the destinkified items, considering them to be the drop-spot!!

 

She's called this bouquet-issue out on the auctions she's listed for these O-diferous items.  In fact, she suggests NOT bidding if you have ANY sensitivity to cigar/cigarette smells....no matter how passionate you might be about the item. 

 

This is one of those too-late wake-up calls folks have about their lifestyle...and investment.  It goes well beyond hobby items, too.  Talk with antique dealers and estate auctioneers....they probably have some 'tricks'-slash-subterfuge to suggest.

 

KD

I purchased an engine that seemed to come from an ash tray. whew!

I wrapped in a newspaper then put in a brown paper bag. 2 days later changed the news paper, let sit for another 2 days wrapped up, and it worked!

 

In also have an interest in this.  I bought a complete set of PE scale cars and almost choked when I opened them.  It was mostly the outer cartons that had the odor and I let them air out in the sun for a while and it helped (but still not completely gone.)

 

I can't imagine how much comeone most smoke to get storage cartons saturated with the odor.  Unbelievable in this day and age.  

Thanks for the info.

I will try some of these and will post back.

 

I do wish that the seller would have provided that this could be an issue but I didn't ask either, so I am just as much at fault.

 

I had some fastrack from a smoker environment but they were aired out pretty easy just by getting them out of the boxes into fresh air.

The newspaper method worked for me, I did the same process at J Daddy. 

 

Another technique that worked but was a bit more trouble, this is what I did the first time.  I took the shells off and put them in front of a box fan.  I turned the pieces after a day to expose the other side.  You'll know if this is working as you will be able to smell the odor as the fan blows it off.  There's only so much "stink" that can come off and then it should be gone.

 

As far as washing goes, a friend who collects pre war uses Murphy's Oil Soap which he says doesn't affect the paint and any stampings on the cars.

I've had this happen once. I wrapped everything in fresh newspapers and left sit for a week then changed the paper and repeat for a month. It did work.

 

Gandy

I've owned and seen toy trains that were discolored from Tobacco smoke. Sometimes its more than just an odor.
I have no idea about removing the discoloration. I ended up selling some of the trains for repainting, and junking others.

The method that J Daddy posted is what I use as well.  Has always worked for me.  Since these are boxcars, you can either open the doors or better stuff some newspaper inside, before wrapping.

Although I've never had to do this, another method that I've been told is effective is to put the items in a large air tight container with a small dish of FRESH baking soda and place the container where it can experience natural heating/cooling cycles.  The odors are released when the item heats up and the baking soda absorbs the odors.  For major odors, the baking soda should be replaced after a couple of cycles during the cooling phase.

 

Heating is the key to release the odors.  I live in the house that was built by my grandfather, and every once in a while in the fall when I first turn on my furnace, I will get a whiff of his pipe smoke in the basement work shop.  In this case, I don't mind at all.  In fact, I find it to be a pleasant reminder of him (he's been gone for almost 29 years now).

 

Andy

Has anyone ever tried charcoal?  I have heard it may absorb odors.

J&J crossing train shop in Turtle Creek Pa, was notorous for this. The owner would smoke a carton a day in his closed up shop. I bought a few pieces of MTH rolling stock there that still has the stale smoke smell in the foam packaging.

cjack,

Your friend is 100% correct. I've used the product more than once. My worst experience was with a boxed lot of pre 1936 parts. The parts had to sit in buckets of Murphy's mixture for days.

I wonder if the owners who sell tobacco smoke laden train products have the slightest idea that their stuff stinks with a repulsive odor. My guess is they are immune to it. Another good reason not to smoke.

I wonder if this newspaper thing will work with a musty book? I'll let you know.

Couldn't hurt!

I've used Fabreez. Also have stuck a dryer sheet (Bounce, etc) inside a car.

If you put a piece of newspaper between each of the pages, and seal the book in a plastic bag for two the five days, a good deal of the odor should be removed.  One caution, the newspaper is likely to transfer ink to the pages, so don't try to do this with a very valuable book.  The kitty litter and charcoal method would work better.  You can find answers on google by looking for "removing musty odors from books".

Yes sir, it will.  That is the reason I started using it on train items.  My mother used to do this to old books...wrap in newspaper then put in a brown paper bag.  Works best if you change out the newspaper each day or two.  Books do take a little longer to lose all the smell.

Side bar story...... Mildew Smells in Old Model RR Magazines

     I have used the method that Spence, talks about for old Model Train Magazines, that have a mildew smell. My local liberian also uses Dryer Sheets to remove mildew & Fabreez to remove mildew from old magazines & books. He puts all the items into a plastic bag & lets sit for a few days.  

From what I have seen with my family that have smoked they have no clue until they stop for awhile and only then do they realize it.

Sitting the vehicles in a box with a small open container of apple cider vinegar for a day or two out in your garage also works, bonus tip, it also gets rid of fruit flies! Baking soda also works good for smoke odors.