Guitar case problem

Strat_a_tat_tat

Recently bought a second hand acoustic guitar... and the inside of the case has a strong smell of cigarette smoke.  It's a plastic hardshell case with a shaped foam interior that's covered in furry material.  So... a fairly standard case with standard materials.

Guitar is nitro finished... and if I leave if out of the case for a few weeks the smell of smoke almost disappears (for the guitar). But if I then put it back into the case, the nitro seems to adbsorb the smell again.

Any tips for getting rid of the smokey smell in the case?  I've tried leaving the case open for a couple of weeks (including putting it outside when there's no rain).  The smell seems to diminish... but if I leave the case closed for a few days the smell seems to concentrate again.

I don't want to use chemicals (Febreze etc) as those may affect the nitro on the guitar.

Many thanks.

Iamnobody

Put bicarbonate of soda in the case / leave closed hoover off after a few days. Leave outdoors open for a couple of nice days after that. It worked for me.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Iamnobody said:

Put bicarbonate of soda in the case / leave closed hoover off after a few days. Leave outdoors open for a couple of nice days after that. It worked for me.

Wow. Never heard of that. Thanks.

Henrytwang

Although I’ve never tried it I’ve read somewhere that tumble dryer sheets help.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Would bags of activated charcoal work?  Amazon sell various sizes of bags and they can be 'recharged' by exposure to sunlight.
Anybody got any experience using these?

brooom

I second the bicarbonate soda, as well as leaving it out in the sun. UV is supposed to kill bacteria that causes bad odors.

gary_mac

Iamnobody said:

Put bicarbonate of soda in the case / leave closed hoover off after a few days. Leave outdoors open for a couple of nice days after that. It worked for me.

I did the same with an old Wal bass case that smelt of stale smoke. It worked very well.

CloudNine

An O-Zone Generator is probably the only sure fire way to rid it forever. Lock it in a room with the machine for an hour, smell will be gone. Don't leave your kids or pets in there. You need one of the proper machines. If you are anywhere near Glasgow you can borrow mine. Often see them for about £50 on eBay.

merciful-evans

Yes we are schooled to believe nitro will react with anything. Most of the time its true. The suggestions here seem good to me. I once had this problem with a guitar. It took a year to rid it of tobacco smell. 

Cases are a whole other thing. I was going to repeat the suggestion to leave it open and outside for as long as safely possible. It made a big difference to my guitar. 

Strat_a_tat_tat

Thanks chaps.  Wisdoms all round.
Bicarb and sunlight it is.
I'll let you know how I get on.

(and thanks for the offer @CloudNine. ; I'm a good few miles away... but thanks anyway)

Strat_a_tat_tat

Well... the bicarb didn't do much. Left it in the case for several days (with the case closed)... no change.

However, sunlight and fresh air appears to be doing the trick. Smell is noticably better... but still needs a few more days of sun (don't we all!).

Thanks.

robgilmo

Start smoking.

Titch

It might sound daft but try "Febreeze",I think there is a specific one for getting rid of odours.We used to use it on chairs that were returned from loan which often came back smelling of smoke & nicotine and once they were cleaned gave them a spraying with it and it worked very well.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Titch said:

It might sound daft but try "Febreeze",I think there is a specific one for getting rid of odours.We used to use it on chairs that were returned from loan which often came back smelling of smoke & nicotine and once they were cleaned gave them a spraying with it and it worked very well.

Thanks for the suggestion... I'm just a bit worried Febreeze could affect the nitro finish on the guitar. Not sure I want to take that risk.

Kittyfrisk

Might sound a bit dafter, but white vinegar is a good deodoriser, along with sunlight & fresh air.
Don't use the white pickling malt vinegar, but the laundry stuff from Wilko in a spray bottle, about a quid.
No smell once dried overnight, will not harm nitro & cleans windows brilliantly too