How to remove basement/musty smell from guitars and cases? - created 10-13-2009

Machrone, Bill - 10/13/2009.17:19:00
Takes stairs two at a time.

I may have mentioned this before, but I’m helping a single mom sell a guitar collection that her deadbeat ex-husband left behind. The collection is mostly Teles and Esquires, P-basses, and a couple of odds and ends (Rics, Les Paul). The problem is that the guitars have been stored in a damp, moldy basement and a number of them have a strong musty smell.

Many are in tweed G&G/Custom Shop cases, others in vinyl-covered cases. Most smell musty inside and out. I sprayed them with Lysol and Febreeze (the latter much to the distress of my family; I had no idea that it smelled so strongly of cheap floral perfume). I’ve put them out in the sun on clear, dry days. The smell is greatly reduced, but still lingers.

Some of the guitars smell musty, too. I’ve tried washing them with mild soap and toweling them, with little effect. I tried wiping them down with naphtha, but the smell seems to be right in the finish. I don’t want to get too aggressive since some of these are Custom Shop or otherwise collectible.

I’ve thought about packing them in activated charcoal, but I don’t want to scratch them. I’ve heard that restorers use an ion generator to remove smoke smell from house fire-affected furniture, but I don’t know anything about ion generators.

I’d appreciate any thoughts and experiences.

Hi Bill,

You could try Nil odor. I used to use it on old trunks and cases I was restoring, neutralizes that funk.

http://www.southwestmedical.com/Nil-Odor/0-340mc0

For other smelly things I've closed them up with an open box of baking soda. It doesn't always work, but at least it is inexpensive.

Put a couple of those dryer sheets in the case with the guitar for a week or so. Worked for me.

Hmm, ethylene oxide gas sterilization would definitely kill off everything, and likely mightn't damage the guitars. But I think you'd have a difficult time finding a gas sterilizter unless you had a pal in a hospital. (I've heard tell of a pair of hip-waders that needed such treatment after a fishing trip and week or two in the trunk of a car.)

Seriously, this could be a tough problem if you can't kill the mold spores. I think maybe you could wipe down the guitars with a damp sponge in 1:100 bleach soluion and then let them air dry, or maybe it would be necessary to go a little stronger say 1:50 but not 1:10. I would throw away any straps unless they have significant value.

As for the cases, hmm, you could put some deodorizer in them, but I'm not sure that will work. I'd bet that if they're kept in a damp location again, they will stink again.

I find sunshine and dry weather work best. It's a little harder to do with the guitars, but for cases it does wonders.

Sunshine is a likely good idea. UV-C light is a natural disinfectant (for the same reasons that it causes skin cancer).

Thanks for the tips.

I'm just astounded that the polyester finishes or whatever is on these guitars holds the smell. Even after wiping down with mild soap and water, then with naphtha, which is the strongest solvent I'd dare try. I thought about very mild bleach water.

Not all of them smell, thank goodness, and some have improved considerably over the two months that they've been sitting around in my dehumidified basement.

Should I worry about sunlight bleaching the sunburst guitars? Not too worried about solid colors or butterscotch over ash.

I wonder what would happen if I brushed baking soda into the shaggy velour in some of these cases, then vacuumed it out again. I'm thinking of trying that, then closing them up with some activated charcoal inside.

Nil odor. My neighbor pasted a pair of skunks doin' it in the middle of the road one night, really smeared his car with them. Next morning we could not get within 30 feet of the closed garage. He thought the car was a goner. He put 4 small cups with cotton balls saturated with nil Odor under the car, 2-3 days later you couldn't tell it had been skunked.

If you can test for colorfastness in an inconspicuous area, I would recommend straight vinegar for the cases. I've had much luck with removing musty, moldy smells from antique upholstered furniture by spraying copious amounts directly on the fabric. Never had an issue with fade, bleed, or spotting, but again, I offer the recommendation to test a hidden area first. I just use a common plant spritzer and uncut white vinegar. Think I heard about it in a 'how to clean anything' type of book. Has also worked wonderfully for accident riddled kids' mattresses. Follow with plenty of sunshine, if possible. I've found Febreeze never works unless the item is nearly clean anyway. Forgot to mention that I've also used staight ammonia in the same way with good results, so I would tend to agree with the Windex suggestion. Obviously don't mix the two. :)

The windex suggestion was what was used by a person who rented band instruments and cleaned and brushed out the cases so they would look and smell good for the next prospective renters. The instruments themselves were gone over a bit more throughly .

On Furniture, "marked" by cats, we find that a 50-50 mix of white vinegar and distilled water works well, so far everythnig has been colorfast....... Scott.

To get the skunk odor off a dog, I use a solution of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dishsoap diluted with water. I used it just yesterday on the dog and it worked. Don't know if that will work on musty cases.

I was going to suggest what John Kigma suggested, but he beat me to it. There are also pet odor neutralizers that have little or no odor that work well on plush. Just let it dry out in a nice, warm, UV rich environment (tanning bed, outside in DRY, sunny conditions, etc.)