Received records from an online seller, and they reek of cigarettes

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by jon9091, Jul 5, 2014.

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  1. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality Thread Starter

    Location:
    Midwest
    Any advice on this? The records and covers look to be in great shape. But they literally reek of cigarette smoke. Any tricks to alleviate the order without damaging the goods? Thank you for any suggestions.
     
    MONOLOVER and zen like this.
  2. zen

    zen Senior Member

    I'd like to know as well. The Byrds box set I got online, stinks of patchouli.
     
  3. RonW

    RonW Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Place them inside a new sterilite tub. They will lose the odor after a few days.
     
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  4. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    Reek? Anyway, clean the records and put them in new paper sleeves. Not much you can do with the covers except maybe air them out and then place them in plastic sleeves to contain the smell.
     
  5. Tuco

    Tuco Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific NW, USA
    AFAIK, those odors are there to stay. If it's a hard surface, you could wash it off, but the fact that it's a porous material, unfortunately you're SOL.
     
    melstapler likes this.
  6. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    If you stick them in a closed container for a week or two with some kitty litter and a dryer sheet, then air them out for a day or two in the open air, you probably won't find them offensive when you take them out.
     
  7. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    The smell will decrease over time if the record cover are aired. Some people have suggested a dryer sheet (Bounce); it will absorbed the oder, but make take months. Keep the records away from you other ones, as they may start to absorbed the smell.

    edit: I see the above poster has suggested the dryer sheet.
     
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  8. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    My son took a mildew - stinking CSNY Four Way Street, separated all the pieces, let them air out for 48 hours, then rebagged everything in new liners, and conquered the funk ! :agree:
     
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  9. Naughty Chord

    Naughty Chord Hole in my Socrates

    Location:
    Sub-Tropo Texas
    I have a guitar amp that hasn't seen a smokey bar in 20 years but it still has a bit of a smoke smell.

    I usually just air out these kinds of items but I might just try the kitty litter thing next time as well.

    I think I might rather smell smoke that patchouli though. :winkgrin: Dang hippies!
     
  10. profholt82

    profholt82 Resident Blowhard

    Location:
    West Michigan
    Ugh, I hate when that happens. I've had that happen with records, CDs, video games, etc. That's the gamble that comes with buying used online.

    Usually I wrap the soiled product in dryer sheets and let it sit for a few days. That won't make the smell completely disappear, but it should drastically improve it. The best way to go about it with records is probably to get a box big enough to hold them and place a few dryer sheets at the base of the box. Then I usually place at least one sheet inside each sleeve and at least one between each LP (like a record/dryer sheet lasagna). Again, it won't completely fix it, but it will make it much better. After a few days, leave them to sit out in the basement or wherever to air out.
     
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  11. PH416156

    PH416156 Alea Iacta Est

    Location:
    Europe
    Probably it was stored near Madonna's "Like a prayer" LP
     
    Giorgio, theshape, IpseDixit and 3 others like this.
  12. pig bodine

    pig bodine God’s Consolation Prize

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY USA
    A little over 20 years ago, I bought a used copy of Sunrise On the Sufferbus by Masters Of Reality. When I got home, I discovered it reeked of pot--so much so, I figured it was intentionally done by the record company like the old Raspberries album that supposedly smelled like raspberries, but smelled like chemicals instead. You could get a contact high off of it, it stunk so much. In the interest of this thread, I checked on it, and it no longer smeels like the inside of Cheech and Chong's van, but that may because I'm 20 years older and my sense of smell is gone.
     
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  13. Colin Allstations

    Colin Allstations Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Smokers are jokers
     
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  14. George Blair

    George Blair Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I guess the record finally came down after a 20 year high.
     
    melstapler likes this.
  15. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality Thread Starter

    Location:
    Midwest
    Yes...the reek of cigs is wreaking havoc in my music room.
    Gonna run the records through my SpinClean with some Tergitol...but it literally smells like the guy was blowing smoke inside the album covers.
    I'll try the dryer sheet trick for those.

    I really wish standard record grading would incorporate a disclosure for a smoke filled environment.
     
  16. milankey

    milankey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, Ohio, USA
    One of the most disgusting smells I know.
     
  17. LeeVing

    LeeVing Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Salem, Oregon
    Maybe a rubbermaid bin with some baking soda to absorb the smell would work. I'd keep it sealed up for a while.
     
    jon9091 likes this.
  18. Manalishi

    Manalishi With the 2-pronged crown

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    I've had a similar problem with records that have that musty basement smell. Is there a febreze for record jackets?
     
  19. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I remember using crumbled newspapers in a large green garbage bag to extract odors from moldy paper so it may work on the album jackets...
     
  20. Agent57

    Agent57 Marshall will buoy, but Fender control

    Location:
    PA
    I have a set of 1988 Pearl drums that have seen many smoky dives and even though they don't smell like smoke, they used to be white - now they're almost yellow.

    And I do smoke but never anywhere near my records or table.
     
    driverdrummer and Naughty Chord like this.
  21. wavethatflag

    wavethatflag God is love, but get it in writing.

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Are you sure that's not a feature of the box set? Crosby may have demanded it. Beats the hell out of marbles. :)

    So says the Steve Miller Band--sometimes they're also tokers.
     
  22. Check out a board for bibliophiles, they'll have the best solutions. Book collectors have been dealing with this problem for decades.
     
    melstapler likes this.
  23. apple-richard

    apple-richard *Overnight Sensation*

    It's comforting to know that none of you would want my 6000 plus CDs or 4ooo plus albums. I've smoked for 35 years and figure the number of cigarettes to be somewhere north of 250.000. :nyah:


    :tiphat:
     
  24. bluemooze

    bluemooze Senior Member

    Location:
    Frenchtown NJ USA
    Air them out. Clean the vinyl. Get new sleeves.
     
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  25. Remurmur

    Remurmur Music is THE BEST! -FZ

    Location:
    Ohio
    I own and love this record as well as the debut.

    Sorry that you had to deal with the pot smell at one time, but considering the band, the songs, and their fans, I find the pot smell kinda appropriate...;) :)
     
    GodShifter likes this.
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