Get the funk out!

[Mike Kennedy]

Just picked up a sweet little Olynous OM-1 & 3 lenses for a good deal.It's one of the origional OM's and everything works.
The gear smells like it was stored in the belly of a Yak.A dead Yak.How can I get rid of this offensive odor?

 

[tac]

maybe store it all with some silica gel for a while?

 

[Rick A]

Set it in a sunny place for a while, time and sun are the best healers of that affliction . I picked up a Yashica D that had been stored in a leather case and inside a leather gear bag. It took several months for that lovely aroma to finally dissipate.

 

[RustedChrome]

When I get used gear that reeks of tobacco smoke, I put it in a bag, in a warm spot with a few of those fabric softener sheets for the dryer. It seems to do the trick.

 

[olleorama]

acetic acid eats odours. Freshly ground coffee too. put the camera in a box besides one bowl of one of those for a while, then switch to the other. coffee really is the better alternative. i've heard it makes a good brew too. not sure though, was a dodgy fellow who told me.

 

[moki]

Nice... I'd like my cameras to smell like coffee and I guess coffee that shared a box with a nice camera would be even better

Storing it in a warm, sunny place for a while is what I do. Leave it open and without lens for a week if you don't need it right now and all the smell should be gone. Worked for me every time and I've had a few that looked and smelled like they've been stored in in a bag with an old sandwich for a few years.

 

[removed account4]

you can probably use baking soda
to absorb the smell, if you don't have any
coffee around that is cheap enough to use as a
de-smeller.

 

[Alex1994]

The lingering odour of fag smoke around my Electro 35 gives it character

 

[FilmOnly]

This can be difficult. I once had to give up a Pentax ME SE because of its odor. I tried, for two weeks, various remedies (baking soda, vinegar, organic deodorizer, keeping it in a zip-lock bag, etc.), but nothing worked. Since then, I am always concerned about funky gear. However, since I buy about 99% of my gear from KEH, this has not been a problem. Only eBay items have been funky. Yet another reason why eBay "bargains" are really just "traps."

 

[jp498]

Baking soda would be my first suggestion too. Lacking that, an ionizing air cleaner (especially one that makes ozone) will make short work of the odors.

 

[BobD]

I have used the coffee trick and found it works pretty well.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Thanks one and all.I have the leather on my front porch airing out.It gets direct sunlight for about 6 hours.If that fails I'll try dryer sheets and then coffee.

Mike

 

[hugopoon]

Have you tried pure lemon juice, then some rubbing alcohol?

 

[Rick A]

I've given up on trying to get the stink out of old leather. I tend to just get rid of the stuff because (IMO) its a breeding ground for fungal infestations. The only leather goods I will keep are branded items such as Leica or other quality name, then I still dont use the stuff, I display it seperately from the cameras and lenses.