Getting rapid fixer smell out of car

[pstake]

I had some undiluted Ilford Rapid Fixer leak in my car and the smell is very noticeable.

Does anybody know what kind of chemical I could use to soak or scrub the carpets/interior, that would neautralize or eliminate the smell?

Kind of a long shot question I'm posting here, but thought I would try since nothing seems to work.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

I would first try mopping with water and vacuuming with a wet-dry vacuum. I have used 3% hydrogen peroxide to remove the smell of fixer from my hands. It works very well. It would all depend on how much fixer spilled. For the acetic acid smell baking soda should neutralize that again followed by water.

 

[pstake]

I would first try mopping with water and vacuuming with a wet-dry vacuum. I have used 3% hydrogen peroxide to remove the smell of fixer from my hands. It works very well. It would all depend on how much fixer spilled. For the acetic acid smell baking soda should neutralize that again followed by water.

Thanks, Gerald. There wouldn't be any acetic acid smell in Ilford Rapid Fixer would there? It's ammonium thiosulfate and water, I believe.

The amount that spilled was about 400ml. Most of it stayed in the bag in which the bottle was stored, but some got out and soaked into the back of the back seat/trunk (the seats were folded down).

It's been steam cleaned and wet-dry vacc'd a few times.

Do you think a scrub sponge and hydrogen peroxide would do any good? Should I dilute the peroxide?

 

[pdeeh]

I used peroxide when I spilled a lot of (dilute) fixer over my bathroom floor a few months ago, and it killed the smell immediately and completely. But even at 3% it's a powerful oxidant, so wear gloves and test it on a small patch first in case the material is susceptible

 

[Pioneer]

Maybe sprinkle some baking soda (Arm and Hammer is one brand) in the area of the spill, leave it sit for awhile, then vacuum. Do this a couple of times. This has always been my go to solution for strong odors in the car.

 

[Light Guru]

Two suggestions.

1- Put a dead fish in the car on a HOT day and leave it in the sun for 5 hours. You won't be smelling the fixer smell anymore.

2- Try something like http://www.walmart.com/ip/Resolve-Pet-Stain-Odor-Carpet-Cleaner-22-oz./11027240

 

[AgX]

The amount that spilled was about 400ml. Most of it stayed in the bag in which the bottle was stored, but some got out and soaked into the back of the back seat/trunk (the seats were folded down)?

I would try to take out that carpet that covers the trunk and backside of the back seats to wash them rather then spraying and suctioning.

 

[Tom1956]

Two suggestions.

1- Put a dead fish in the car on a HOT day and leave it in the sun for 5 hours. You won't be smelling the fixer smell anymore.

2- Try something like http://www.walmart.com/ip/Resolve-Pet-Stain-Odor-Carpet-Cleaner-22-oz./11027240

I was thinking of possibly barfing in the car. Or possibly ride through the NC countryside when they spread the chicken manure from the chicken houses out on the crop fields, which smells like the former. That'll singe the hair our of your nostrils.
The previously mentioned cures are good, on a more serious note.

 

[pstake]

Thanks, everyone. I will let you know about my success/failure.

 

[Roger Cole]

I would NOT use the peroxide! It's a rather powerful bleaching agent and will ruin the color of the carpet. That's why it's used (or used to be) for bleaching hair.

Fabreze works well for many smells. Otherwise I'd try the baking soda.

 

[HowardDvorin]

You might try Febreeze. It is available in supermarkets and advertised on TV.

Howard

 

[Sirius Glass]

I was thinking of possibly barfing in the car. Or possibly ride through the NC countryside when they spread the chicken manure from the chicken houses out on the crop fields, which smells like the former. That'll singe the hair our of your nostrils.
The previously mentioned cures are good, on a more serious note.

Pig poop would accomplish that much more effectively and is available in North Carolina.

The problem may be better solved by finding out what would react with the sodium thiosulfate and convert it to non-aeromatic salts that can be rinsed out. I have been away from inorganic chemistry for too long to give any more specific advice.

 

[Roger Cole]

Right you are, that's what I meant. I edited my post.

 

[MattKing]

At last, a good use for Hypo Eliminator!

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Do you think a scrub sponge and hydrogen peroxide would do any good? Should I dilute the peroxide?

After first testing for color fastness I would blot the spill area with 3% peroxide. Hair is bleached with 6% peroxide and ammonium hydroxide. The dyes used in car interiors are rather robust since they are exposed to sunlight every day. There may also be a problem with the user carpeting or mat.

 

[markbarendt]

For cleaning my dogs when they get into most anything truly smelly, like skunk, I use a diluted mix of Hydrogen Peroxide, baking soda, and dish detergent. Mix as you see fit, there is no standard.

If the skunk goo is dripping off their face I mix it thick; if it's just a whiff, thin.

I did have one incredible dog, Rusty, that scoffed at any danger and attacked it head on. Sweet as the day was long until one truly threatened her world or her people. She would get truly frustrated when we wouldn't let her "play" with the business end of a chain saw in use. She would fairly regularly catch skunks that dared wander into her territory and literally rip their tails off; on occasion she got the mix full strength.

 

[neelin]

A really dilute thiosulfate will kill the chlorine smell on your body after swimming in a chlorinated pool, and there are commercial products to do just that. So a similar mild solution containing chlorine bleach "might" neutralize thiosulfate? Just a thought.

Robert

 

[Photo Engineer]

The primary odor is not from the thiosulfate and the chlorine will attack the dyes in the upholstery of the car. The odor, if not pointed out well before this, is the acetic acid and the sulfite. I think Gerry said it all in his comments. But, even peroxide can do some damage so be careful.

PE

 

[Truzi]

You can seal all the seams except for one window, which you would leave open. Get a garden hose and a bunch of really strong friends, and use the Ilford washing method

Anything that can be physically removed from the car, remove and wash - and dry well. Anything that you can't remove, like seats or carpet, may be difficult to get completely dry, and that can cause problems in the future. So be careful how wet you get them.

I would start conservatively, and you have some good ideas in this thread already. Treating it like a pet "accident" may open some options, so a pet store may have something good. You could also talk to people who detail cars, as they may have suggestions.

Basically, you are cleaning (though the chemical smell may be more difficult than a visual stain). My grandmother used to be able to clean stains a dry cleaner could not take out. Some of it was more "folk" remedy, like milk or baking/baby powder - and in that respect, the cleaning media may or may not have been effective. What I think worked most for my grandmother is that she was a very patient person. She kept at something until it was clean (she was a bit OCD in that respect). She didn't care if it didn't work all at once. A little progress each time was enough.

So, you may be best served by repeatedly using whatever method(s) you choose. A few times a session, a session every day. Just keep at it.

 

[railwayman3]

Do you know anyone who has a car-valeting service? I have a friend who has a used-car business, and apparently there are various industrial cleaning materials specifically for used cars which are not available on retail sale. (He tells me that spilled milk is one of the worst things to get rid of the smell !).

 

[AgX]

He tells me that spilled milk is one of the worst things to get rid of the smell !

The decay of milk produces butyric acid.

 

[gone]

Baking soda for sure. Once you get it cleaned out as best you can, place cut up apples and place them under the seats, and change them out regularly. They will absorb lingering smells, and their odor is pleasant. We had to do this w/ cars that got flooded during hurricanes in the South. It worked great, but if any salt water got in there you wouldn't have a car for long anyway, as that rusted everything....brake lines, gas lines, floor boards, etc.

 

[pstake]

Peroxide (3%) worked great!