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Author Topic: primitive has body odor on plastic sewing-machine cover  (Read 827 times)

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Offline franksolich

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primitive has body odor on plastic sewing-machine cover
« on: May 05, 2012, 05:30:43 PM »
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1158913

Oh my.

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yardwork (32,337 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

How to get body odor out of an old plastic sewing machine cover?

I have a Singer sewing machine that was made in the early 1970s. The machine still works great. The white plastic cover stinks of body odor. I think that maybe one of my teenage sons draped a sweat-soaked t-shirt on it, and the sweat soaked into the plastic. The cover has a smooth surface, but in places where it is scuffed I see that the underlying plastic seems to be a bit porous.

I've tried to get the smell out for two years. I've soaked the cover in bleach in the bathtub, in vinegar, showered it in hot water, sprayed all kinds of cleaners on it, left it out on the patio for the rain and sun to work on, and even put essential oils on it. (I had forgotten the odor of patchouli and sweat - while this was a walk down memory lane, I don't want it in my house. I loved the 60s but....) All I've succeeded in doing is rusting the latches that snap the cover onto the base of the machine. The cover is now very clean and pearly white, but the odor always comes back.

Any advice? I'm about ready to throw it out, but that will leave my old sewing machine unprotected from dust and cat hair.

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NYC_SKP (40,502 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

1. Don't throw it out.

some time in the sun, and some time in a plastic bag with some mothballs, then back in the sun.

I think that would cover it.

Odor is caused by live bacteria, they hate UV.

And camphor isn't pleasant to them and should help with the smell.

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yardwork (32,337 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

2. Sun alone didn't work. I haven't tried mothballs yet. Sealing it in a bag is a good idea.

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MuseRider (22,170 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

3. Would one of those enzyme cleaners work? I have never had too much luck getting odors out of plastic of any kind. I am sorry to hear about this, it must be driving you crazy. My poor old sewing machine does not have a cover and I think it has just about finished the poor thing since it sits next to the mud/dog cleaning area. I sure hope you can get this taken care of.

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yardwork (32,337 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

4. I think I tried the enzyme cleaner, too, but I could try again.

The other possibility is that this isn't actually body odor. Maybe the plastic is disintegrating and emitting a smell that is very similar to body odor. This might explain why everything I do seems to make the situation worse rather than better.

Sigh.

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hlthe2b (40,268 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

5. Try putting in a big garbage bag with activated charcoal for several days...

Then I might repeat the sun time.

Activated charcoal is very good at absorbing odors. But, plastic is tough.

If you can't find activated charcoal readily in hardware or home stores near you, just buy regular charcoal brickets and cover them with paper towels to keep the dust off the cover within the plastic garbage bag. Just make sure you buy the kind that doesn't have lighter fluid mixed in.

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yardwork (32,337 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

8. That's a good idea. I'm thinking that putting it in a plastic bag with.... something....

may be the way to go.

The defrocked warped primitive, she with the face like Hindenberg's, who's been banned from nursing for life:

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Warpy (63,134 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

6. I'd just hose it down with Febreze when I noticed it and hope it goes away over time.

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yardwork (32,337 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

7. That's where I started! lol!
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Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: primitive has body odor on plastic sewing-machine cover
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2012, 05:39:07 PM »
Try washing your clothes the next day after wearing them, DUmb****. :loser: :thatsright:
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Offline miskie

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Re: primitive has body odor on plastic sewing-machine cover
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2012, 05:47:32 PM »
I suspect the Open-Source cleaner called Retr0bright would probably work. The purpose of this compound is to reverse yellowing in ABS plastics, but I suspect it will also deodorize based on its ingredients.

By the way, how badly does one have to smell to have it soak into plastic ? or How long did the stank-infested clothing sit on top of the sewing machine before anyone did something about it ?

All I can conclude is that smell must have been epic.
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