Scented camera!

[rfaspen]

OK, I just bought a camera that is extremely scented. Apparently, the previous owner is a cologne wearer and the camera is thoroughly scented with this god-awful stench.

So, to the chase. What can I do? I would prefer to find a way to remove the stench from this camera such that I can keep it and use it.

Anyone know an idea? I've already rubbed it down with isopropyl alcohol, and then rubbed it down with vinegar, and then with a baking soda paste. It still stinks bad.

Help.

 

[Robert Lai]

Think logically.
Scent molecules are aliphatic alcohols or esters. The isopropyl alcohol should have removed them from the metal and painted surfaces.

What's left?
The leather covering or vulcanite may have absorbed the molecules. Most likely on the back, where the camera may touch the face or neck when being used. (Another reason why I always use half cases - to prevent my nose / face grease from getting embedded into the back of the camera).

Scent molecules are volatile (that's how they get into your nose), so prolonged airing out and patience may be the first step. Maybe put it under a desk lamp to warm it up a bit and speed up the evaporation process?

The second step may be to use a leather cleaner. You can follow up with a conditioner also. These products are oily / greasy, and may dissolve the scent molecules enough to dilute them out onto your cleaning cloth.

If airing out and leather cleaner doesn't get rid of the odor, then the "nuclear option": you'd probably have to change the leather covering.

 

[Dwig]

...
What's left?
The leather covering or vulcanite ...

If prolonged airing out doesn't get rid of the odor, then you'd probably have to change the leather covering...

... and all of the old adhesive. The adhesives used to glue the cover will also absorb odors as will the semi-solid grease type lube.

Strong perfume odor can damage film if strong enough and/or exposure is long enough. Modern (read: since early to mid 1970s) films are more resistant, but it can still happen.

 

[rybolt]

rub it with dryer sheets. Also a good wipe with Febreze.

 

[sepiareverb]

I completely empathize, I've had to return cameras that reeked.

I recently came across these mesh bags filled with some pumice type stone, I successfully managed to remove cologne smell from a seat belt in my work vehicle that someone else had driven. My eyes watered when I got in the car.

I'd set the camera on this bag and seal them both up in a plastic bag for a few days.

The bag of rocks I got was in the cleaning supplies aisle at Home Depot.

Good luck!

 

[rfaspen]

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

I will first have to eliminate the dryer sheet and Fabreeze option. Those are both just as bad as the original stench. I didn't mention in the OP, but I have a potentially fatal "allergy" to many synthetic fragrances. The fragrance used in dryer sheets will kill me in short order. I have been sent to the hospital from walking by a laundromat! Its not a fun thing. Makes me an odd person, but actually there are millions of people with this affliction worldwide.

I have pulled scents to a moderate degree with alcohol before, but never enough. These synthetic fragrances are engineered to be persistent *and* volatile. To me, that's pure evil. Vinegar has been the same -- helps, but never enough. I have had to throw away good items made of plastic that were "contaminated" and will never be de-scented ever. My fear is the camera plastic has absorbed enough scent to deem this camera un-keepable. This is really unfortunate to the extreme. I looked long for this camera and paid plenty.

Now, pumice bags? This is a brand new thing to me. I am absolutely going to seek these out. I'll try nearly anything.

Right now, the camera is out in the back yard, in the breeze, in the sun. That is the only thing that's worked for a few things in the past.

Also, since this scent doesn't appear to be one that contains the chemical that I am sensitive to, I won't die from using the camera, but it will be so unpleasant I won't use the camera. It's that stenchy. I think the guy applied cologne directly to the camera. He must have. Why?

 

[rick oleson]

I wonder if a vacuum (an actual vacuum, not a carpet cleaning machine) would pull the scent out. I've never tried it, and I don't have a ready means of creating the required vacuum, but I wonder......

 

[B-9]

Smells are half the experience!

Sorry for your condition, sounds exhausting!

No valuable input from me just thought it was an interesting thread.

 

[farlymac]

I fully understand your predicament. The PA at my former doctor's office developed an allergy to scents, and they put up a sign telling everyone to quit using perfume, after shave, and antiperspirant before their appointments.

I used to hang out at a camera shop where the owner also did repairs. As a final step before delivery back to its owner, he would wipe down a camera with a rag treated with Lemon Pledge.

PF

 

[sepiareverb]

I was pretty much resigned to having to keep wrapping the seat belt of the car with a towel to be able to use it, but the same bag had removed some "freshener" scent from the whole car over the course of a week, so thought I'd give it a go. These bags are recharged by lying them out in the sun. My daughter swears by them for all kinds of odor control.

Fingers crossed here.

 

[johannielscom]

That camera (what is the camera that you've been looking for so long?) may have been covered in cologne to mask another smell like mould or maybe the previous owner was a smoker...

 

[p.giannakis]

The back of my Nikon F5 stunk tobacco smell, obviously the previous owner was smoking while shooting. I rubbed it a lot with baby wipes to remove all the yellow residue from the smoke and after a couple of weeks it did not smelled that much.

 

[rfaspen]

Thanks for the continued suggestions and support.

I very much wish it was smoker smell. I can handle that much easier. My 1936 Leica IIIa has a very distinct odor that is the amalgam of a long life, including cigarette smoke. It is not a fully unpleasant odor, and does not contain any modern fragrances in it.

Modern fragrances are a whole new beast. I am not sensitive to pre-1960s fragrances, or any natural fragrance. The new synthetic stuff is designed to stick more permanently to surfaces, and continue to volatilize. Medical institution here in the US is not able or willing to help much. I think its a result of ignorance, if anything. The problem has not been widely studied (not a money maker) and there was a period where it was thought the sensitivity was psychological (all in the head). I do seethe at the suggestion. Today, I'm told I react to a chemical, or class of chemicals, and its not in the head. The symptoms of exposure are quite real and terrifying. The reaction is a mixture of acute asthma and allergic emergency. Almost no help with treatment, only a dangerous asthma treatment that keeps my lungs open, but if I use it more than 4 times in 24 hours I supposedly risk death. The allergists eyes got really wide when I told her I used it 4 or 5 times with recent exposures. As one can imagine, it makes for a delicate life in modern society. I do pretty well with it.

I've finished off the 91% isopropyl alcohol bottle. Wiped the camera down many times. Camera still stinks.

The "bags" from Home Depot are next. Any idea what they were called? I'm heading over there today.

 

[peterm1]

Have you tried Baking Soda in the following manner? It's renowned for pulling smells out of things. To prevent the powder getting where it should not, I would place it in a women's stocking sock which can be bought for one dollar or so for two pairs in a supermarket. Then place this and the camera in a small box just big enough to hold them. I would use a plastic food storage bin also from a supermarket. It may take a few days or even a few weeks of confinement but it may well do the trick. Some where slightly warm would seem best. I use the stuff in our fridge where it soaks up food smells.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Worth trying anything which is not in itself destructive, starting with things which make the camera 'cleaner', especially, yes, the leather. The odor will eventually go away completely, regardless of what you do; it's inherent in the nature of volatility. Fresh air and sunshine (or anything which warms it up slightly to speed up the volatilization) will get it done completely, eventually. Eventually could be a very long time, however. Good luck, just remember there is no reason it needs to be permanent.

 

[Steve M.]

I have some Valerian root at the house that I use as a sleep aid (nature's Valium). You could try rubbing a bit of it on there. This stuff will cover up any smell in the known universe, but of course, then you would be stuck w/ a camera that smelled like Valerian root, an odor that could charitably be described as similar to old, moldy socks. Except lots worse.

Seriously, I have no idea. When hurricane Camile slammed through coastal Mississippi back in the day w/ 200+ winds, lots of cars were flooded, and after sitting in the sun for a few weeks w/ the windows rolled up you would not believe how strong that smell was. We discovered that if you sliced up a lot of apples and potatoes and placed them throughout the interior they would absorb the smell. You had to change out the veggies every day because they would reach their saturation point, then add fresh ones, but after a while it worked great. At least long enough to unload the autos to unsuspecting Yankees. We have a long memory of that war :]

 

[johannielscom]

Have you tried Baking Soda?

...

Have you read the original post at all?

 

[sepiareverb]

I just went through the Home Depot website and didn't see it, but this is the same thing. Saw many charcoal bags as well on Amazon, my daughter uses those as well.


Found it by name on Home Depot Natural Magic Gonzo odor eliminator.

 

[rfaspen]

On my way to Home Depot to pick up "Natural Magic Odor Eliminator". Really seems worth a shot. I also read about placing the scented object in a closed container with granulated activated charcoal. I happen to have some that from my aquarium hobby.

Plastic is a tough material to rid of perfume. In most (all?) cases in the past, I had to get rid of the scented thing. I have a laptop power supply in my garage that was owned by a scented person and is still powerfully scented after a decade. I know it seems like perfume-type scents should fully volatilize, but they don't do so in a practical time frame, if ever.

I'm a bit more motivated to remove this scent that with other things I've acquired in the past. Since it is not a scent that contains the deadly chemical, I may be satisfied with reducing the odor to a very low level. For people like me, all perfume-like scents are unpleasant because of the psychological connection with those scents that do illicit the allergic reaction (allergy used in general sense, it might not be a true allergic response).

If I have any success, I will update everyone. I'm quite sure there are more of us out there who have cameras that are un-usable due to perfume/cologne.

 

[Robert Lai]

rfaspen,
What is this camera that is so rare that you have to go through all of this?

Couldn't you just return it and buy another one?

My wife has anaphylaxis to several food items (e.g.peanuts), as well as severe asthma. So, I do fully empathize with your plight. However, our solution is to just eliminate the problem items from the house.