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- Kalani
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- Registered: 26-8-2021
- Posts: 169
How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
Bringing a funky or chemical smelling typewriter into a clean and "scent free" home is never pleasant.
Interested in how others have gotten smells out/off of a typewriter?
Chemical cleaning smells.
Oil and lubricant smells. . some smell really nasty.
Previous owner smells: cologne, funky deodorant or other on hands, etc.
Cleaning chemical scents, smells, and fragrances.
What I've tried:
Ozone machine: cut out a hole to fit in a jumbo packer box with lid, turn on with typewriter inside.
result: either added ozone machine funky smell and made it worse, or mostly replaced whatever was the funky smell with the ozone smell, which can be just as nasty and does not go away. (no ozone machines anymore).
Cleaning and odor removal chemicals and sprays; Crud Cutter (very good), no scent sprays with no scents of their own (mixed results), Windex (cleans well and doesn't hurt the typewriter but poor on odor removal), others with poor to mixed poor results.
Cleaning/lubricants: CLP lubricant is neutral smelling, many lubricants just plain stink up a clean room.
Other methods: new raw newspapers crumbled up in a large plastic bin with lid. (surprisingly, this really works on all but the nastiest smelling typewriters. It reduces the smell in varying degrees but, in combination with the right cleaning chemical sprays, works well. I got this tip from a retired librarian who said they do this to get the funk smell off of old collectable books.
Time and just airing a typewriter out in the garage or shop (assuming show and garage do not smell or stink of funk and things of their own, (*****depends on the home and personal habits). Works to varying degrees but not much to none on a practical basis.
How have you gotten smells off of your typewriter(s) . . ?
thanks for the input.
k
- Pete E.
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
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Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom spray cleaner, Lysol disinfecting spray, and denatured alcohol and my air compressor are my best friends...both for the machines and their cases (Interior and exterior).
Scrubbing Bubbles followed by Lysol spray of the old felt pads on the inside of the machine cowlings can do wonders too. But sometimes those are so bad, I will just pull out all the old stuff and add new peel & stick felts pads in their place.
Same for the smelly interior of typewriter cases. But sometimes a really stinky case gets a spray paint job with satin-finish paint to "encapsulate" the liner smell.
When I have to take PB Blaster to a stubborn machine,,,I will let that soak in for a day and then try to exorcise its own pungent smell with liberal dousing of denatured alcohol. And still let the machine air-out on the workbench in the garage for a week.
However...a nicely cleaned & serviced machine that gets a light oiling and a new ribbon, will smell like a "machine"...which I find pleasant.
.
- skywatcher
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- From: The Prairies of Alberta
- Registered: 14-3-2013
- Posts: 737
Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
As Pete Says
Scrubbing Bubbles® bathroom cleaner is great for getting dirt and smells out of the paintwork on the body panels. Spray it on, let it soak for 30 seconds, scrub gently with a soft bristled dish brush or the like and rinse off with hot water. Just be very careful around water slide transfers and dry thoroughly with a soft towel.
Febreze fabric deodorizer is another useful product for neutralizing odors from the sound insulating felt within the body panels. If you're not too sensitive to chemical smells, a dryer sheet or two can be placed in the case with the typewriter. I do know one person who received a typewriter with a dryer sheet in the case, rendering the machine totally unusable for them due to chemical sensitivity.
Airing the machine outside in the sunshine can also help reduce the intensity of smell in a typewriter. The UV light in sunlight breaks down many chemical compounds and kills an array of bacteria while the breeze carries airborne particles away from the machine. The smell of cleaning solvents should reduce as the solvent evaporates. The smell of lubricating oil is part of the typewriter and as Pete says, it is a machine after all. Interestingly, I have found that different brands of typewriter ribbon even have their own smell which can add to the overall smell of the typewriter. All the best,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- OregonJim
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- Registered: 06-11-2022
- Posts: 161
Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
Odors don't bother me (generally). I've found that most odors are reduced or eliminated with a general cleaning, as noted by others. However, I did once have a briefcase that picked up a strong "stale cigar" smell after I had lent it to a business associate. A box of Arm & Hammer baking soda left inside for a couple of days took care of it.
- skywatcher
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- Registered: 14-3-2013
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Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
Good Point Jim
I had forgotten about the box of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) trick for taking the odor out of things.
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- Phil_F_NM
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- Registered: 16-4-2020
- Posts: 267
Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
One thing you may need to do is get rid of any porous items that are in the typewriter. The typebar rest and the key bar rest come to mind. Typebar rests are easy to replace with new material (felt, leather, rubber, etc.) The material where the key bars come to rest is far more difficult to remove and replace usually, but as it is very close to the hands, may pose a significant source of smell from old perfume, cologne, cigars, or whatever grime may have been on the hands of the user.
I've used scrubby solutions of baking soda and water, baking soda and vinegar, baking soda and dish detergent, all sorts of stuff. I have caked on baking soda and water paste as well. I had a similar problem with an 8mm motion picture camera I was restoring for use a few years ago. It was so pungent with bad cologne that it couldn't be brought to one's face. I had to remove the leatherette from the camera, soak it in Bronner's liquid soap and eventually the smell left it. Basically, if the scent is suspended in oil like most perfumes, an oil, surfactant, or solvent is necessary to remove the offending odor.
Don't forget to soak the keys in whatever you're using to remove smell, those are also often a source.
Phil Forrest
- Kalani
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- Registered: 26-8-2021
- Posts: 169
Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
Phil_F_NM wrote:
One thing you may need to do is get rid of any porous items that are in the typewriter. The typebar rest and the key bar rest come to mind. Typebar rests are easy to replace with new material (felt, leather, rubber, etc.) The material where the key bars come to rest is far more difficult to remove and replace usually, but as it is very close to the hands, may pose a significant source of smell from old perfume, cologne, cigars, or whatever grime may have been on the hands of the user.
I've used scrubby solutions of baking soda and water, baking soda and vinegar, baking soda and dish detergent, all sorts of stuff. I have caked on baking soda and water paste as well. I had a similar problem with an 8mm motion picture camera I was restoring for use a few years ago. It was so pungent with bad cologne that it couldn't be brought to one's face. I had to remove the leatherette from the camera, soak it in Bronner's liquid soap and eventually the smell left it. Basically, if the scent is suspended in oil like most perfumes, an oil, surfactant, or solvent is necessary to remove the offending odor.
Don't forget to soak the keys in whatever you're using to remove smell, those are also often a source.
Phil Forrest
Aloha Phil,
Huge thanks. I will try it. I have a few vintage typewriters that can't be brought into my home because of either human stink or chemical stink. I have chemical and smell sensitivities so it's no fun at all. I've tried everything so far. Brake cleaner then air compressor cleaning. Crud Cutter (worked the best but not completely). Animal stink remover for carpets, etc, circuit board spray, etc. Also leaving the typewriter in a bin packed with new newspaper (works for non strong smells to some degree), ozone machine in a closed bin (nasty stuff, what a stink!), and more.
Huge thanks again.
jim
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Thread Starter- CoronaJoe
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- Registered: 24-1-2016
- Posts: 143
Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
Time and airing works for me. I once picked up a Royal QDL that had the provenance of coming from a bull farm in Idaho. It had all kinds of papers in it that was very interesting with correspondence, dates, names, and sires. Unfortunately it smelled "agricultural", somewhere between dairy (dried milk?), and bullish. A good cleaning with Dawn, service and lube, plus 3 months in the summer sun and now it smells like a new office machine. Drastic measure I cringe at as some folks tend to "bomb" their machines for quick and easy; and ozone will seriously degrade some plastics and certainly rubber parts such as bump stops, platens, and rollers. Smells and stains took time to get there, sometimes it takes patience to get rid of them.
- CoronaJoe
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- Posts: 143
Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
I forget to mention I put packs of baking soda on the type basket when I brought the typewriter in for overnight or rainy days. When the typewriter is stored in it's case I put a couple of silica gel packs in with it which not only helps with humidity but keeping it dry has also led to it becoming stink free.
- Kalani
- Touch Typist
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- From: Fountain Pen Network profile
- Registered: 26-8-2021
- Posts: 169
Re: How do "you" get chemical and other nasty smells out of a typewriter?
Time and airing works for me. I once picked up a Royal QDL that had the provenance of coming from a bull farm in Idaho. It had all kinds of papers in it that was very interesting with correspondence, dates, names, and sires. Unfortunately it smelled "agricultural", somewhere between dairy (dried milk?), and bullish. A good cleaning with Dawn, service and lube, plus 3 months in the summer sun and now it smells like a new office machine. Drastic measure I cringe at as some folks tend to "bomb" their machines for quick and easy; and ozone will seriously degrade some plastics and certainly rubber parts such as bump stops, platens, and rollers. Smells and stains took time to get there, sometimes it takes patience to get rid of them.
Thanks for the great tips.
I'll try "Dawn". It might do better than "Crud Cutter".
Love the stories!
Aloha
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