Getting rid of smoker smell?

[T.A.P.]

I've gotten a few video game components recently (controllers, cables) off of eBay that reek of cigarettes.

I didn't think it would bother me at first, but it's become a really big distraction.

Is there an easy way to get rid of that odor?

 

[fenikso]

It's a pretty tough smell to get rid of. It'll fade over time but it never really disappears.

As far as the controllers are concerned; you could always disassemble them and wash the plastic parts in warm soapy water. It couldn't hurt.

 

[hyper]

Wash what you can, leave in a sealed tupperware with dry rice & cedar chips, a tu gusto

 

[ChuChu Flamingo]

Leaving them in dryer sheets in a sealed plastic bag/baking soda for some time seems to work wonders. It also helps if you store them in a cold place as it speeds up the process.

Slight vinegar to clean off the shells and pcbs also helps, then finish with soapy water for a nice smell.

 

[MidnightMonkey]

Every piece of gear I've acquired over the internet or second hand I clean in this order:

1. Complete disassembly
2. Scrub boards with alcohol and a toothbrush.
- dry with a heat gun or air dry for at least 24 hours
3. Wash buttons and plastics with mild detergent, super hot water, sponge, and brush.
- take your time with this. If the plastics aren't finished with gloss, I might hit it with a mr clean magic eraser.
4. Refinish yellowed plastics with Retrobright.

Edit: If the Misses bitches about you taking up her dish rack and counter space, find a suitable staircase and go for the old trip-push method. All those fucking dishes should be clean already anyways.

 

[NeoSneth]

yeah. dryer sheet is the easiest method.
Rubbing alcohol if it's yellowed.

 

[Tw3ek]

Take up smoking, soon you won't even notice the smell!

Seriously though, make sure all the dust/residue is gone from the insides, then box it up with some dryer sheets for a day or two. Should have the smell gone.

 

[MidnightMonkey]

I've never considered the dryer sheet idea, but with as popular as it seems, it wouldn't hurt to start. Mind you I'm still gonna do all the stuff I listed above out of OCD.

 

[2D_mastur]

Wash what you can, leave in a sealed tupperware with dry rice & cedar chips, a tu gusto

Would this work with a book? How long would it take? Would there be moisture involved that could damage a book?

 

[goombakid]

Agreed with opening up and washing the plastic on the controllers.

I've also taken an unscented baby wipe (yay kids!) and cleaned off the cable to get rid of as much yuck residue that may be harboring the smell. Air duster to get dust/dead skin off the PCBs (also harboring the smell).

I haven't tried the dryer sheet since I don't buy them, but what I did do was put whatever smelly part (in my case, it was the disk drive and the AV/power port PCB from a Twin Fami) and put them in a sealed container with activated carbon (the kind used for aquariums) in an clean, old sock. Left it in there for a few days and the smell came out.

Take up smoking, soon you won't even notice the smell!

And then there's this option.

 

[2D_mastur]

Run the gauntlet:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Eliminate-Smoke-Smell-from-Your-eBay-Purchases-/10000000001669988/g.html

 

[MidnightMonkey]

Would this work with a book? How long would it take? Would there be moisture involved that could damage a book?

I would probably research book restoration techniques. There's a lot that goes into the avenue of approach when dealing with books like the stock used, age of the book, etc.

 

[Takumaji]

Start smoking, eventually you won't care about the smell anymore.

 

[Neorebel]

In a bag with sneakerballs, baking soda, or dryer sheets is something that has worked for me.

 

[GutsDozer]

If you make sure its a nice day and no rain or anything leaving it outside to air out can help a lot.

 

[Phyeir]

I buy all my second hand games from Stephen Dorff because he only uses blu eCigs... and looks cool doing it.

 

[MidnightMonkey]

I buy all my second hand games from Stephen Dorff because he only uses blu eCigs... and looks cool doing it.

Stephen Dorff is the fucking balls.

Start smoking, eventually you won't care about the smell anymore.

He's got a point. Or you could just use the controller shells to hide your ganja in.

 

[SNKorSWM]

I don't think any of the mvs carts I bought had the smoker smell, which is surprising since old arcades are the kind of place that people go to smoke.

 

[Takumaji]

Or you could just use the controller shells to hide your ganja in.

Yeah, perhaps that could work. The real challenge would be to do it with the innards of the controller still intact, although opening it everytime you want to light up may be a bit inconvenient...

Seriously though, I use ammonia-based cleaners for getting rid of smoke smell. Unscrew the controller and clean every part with a lintfree cloth and/or q-tips, then let them air out for a while.

Alternatively, there are industry-grade cleaners specially made for that purpose. Once I worked at Philips (Dutch company) in the mobile phone dept. and was responsible for handle customer repairs. Some phones people sent in smelled like they had been pulled out of the arse of an elephant and the workshop guys used a special cleaner on them with a lemon scent. All bad smells and dirt were gone afterwards and the phone was minty-fresh again. I don't remember the exact brand/name of the stuff but it shouldn't be a prob to get something like that at a specialist shops.

 

[Tripredacus]

A friend of mine uses an apple to get rid of cigarette smell in pinball games. He cuts the apple in half and put the half inside the cabinet.

 

[norton9478]

Stephen Dorff is the fucking balls.



He's got a point. Or you could just use the controller shells to hide your ganja in.

THat is what the Expansion slot cover of the NES is for.

 

[Pasky]

You could try throwing it in a seal container with this for a few days:

http://www.armandhammer.com/deodori...aking-soda-fresh-n-natural-odor-absorber.aspx

 

[Xian Xi]

If it's an arcade board I just wash it but if it's console stuff, I find that putting it in a box with febreeze sprayed on the insides and leaving it for a couple days works pretty well.

 

[MuppeT]

Like couple of people said I found that baking soda is the best method as it removes the smell. The dryer sheets give it a nice smell but they don't fully remove the smoke smell just mask it.

 

[ChopstickSamurai]

I dealt with this after inheriting several items from my father who smoked like a fiend. Most things the smell faded after multiple washings, but books were tricky. Sealing them in Tupperware with cat litter worked well enough. I didn't know about the baking soda trick. I'll have to try that.

Good luck!