doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Musty Smell in Case - Solution?

I have a Double Gun case - "Leather, Felt, etc." - that has a very "musty" smell to it.

I assume that some members of this forum may also have experienced this. Most especially with older gun cases.

I'm interested in what solutions have been tried to eliminate the organisms that are causing the smell. White Vinegar?; Pine-Sol?, etc.

Any ideas?

Thanks

I had this problem with an FBI case for a Thompson SMG last year. I cured it by placing coffee filters with fresh ground French Roast in there for several days. After that the smell was gone.
Jim

Fabreeze spray

The oily musty smell of an old gun case with the fine old double and tools inside should be bottled not eliminated.

Jim,
That's the most interesting "potential" solution that I've heard of yet. Of course, then it will smell like Starbucks! I'll have to pursue that idea

dubbletrubble,
Gave the Fabreeze a try already. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do a thing.

Still looking for more inventive solutions if there are any out there.

PM,

I wish it was an "oily" smell! It's more like old wet, sweaty dog that skirted a cesspool.
Not pleasant.

cut the leggs off one of the wifes panty hose....fill them with the contents of a 1 lb. tin of john rolfe peach brandy pipe tobacco...tie the ends shut... close inside the case for about a week....problem solved..

Fabreeze was offered as a solution previously and was determined to NOT be effective with this type of situation.

The "coffee smell" will rapidly dissapate once the grounds are removed. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Jim

As one who is extremely allergic to molds, I am very aware of the problem. Spraying Febreez, using scents or using coffee grounds doesn't do much except replace one odor with another. The cause, which is mold or mildew, is still present. I would suggest a weak solution of any basic household disinfectant that has the compound dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (you might see it listed as any compound C12 through C18); these are better than bleach because they penetrate deeper into porous materials and will actually kill the mold. You need to first check the effect on the lining. I would follow that with exposure to direct sunlight. Once the mold is killed, I believe that the use of zeolite available as granules or small pieces at your pet store may help to absorb residual odor.

gunut,

Thanks for the idea. between the coffee and the tobacco, the only thing I'm missing is some good Bourbon!

I'm more in line with cpa's thought process. I'm looking for something to kill the organisms that are causing the smell. I've avoided bleach for obvious reasons.

I was hoping for something that was commercially available.I've done the direct sunlight thing, and the sun's rays do kill organisms such as this. It helped, but much more is needed.

Formula 409 Antibacterial Kitchen All-Purpose Cleaner, made by Clorox, has the ingredient that cpa discussed above.

We'll give that a try and report back after a week.

Thanks,

This is an age old problem with books as well as other things that have mold. First two warnings, do not use this if there is any nickle plating on the case and work with this in a well ventilated area.

Use a flat bottom small dish and put equal parts Clorox bleach and white vinegar about a tablespoon of each. This makes a low grade chlorine gas and will kill everything. I've used this for over thirty years on paper goods such as books which I place in a large plastic box with a good top, I fan out the pages and after a day replace the liquid and reposition the pages.

Whoa Michael,
You're scaring me now with Chlorine Gas - however, I know that you are correct. Chlorine Gas is used in industry to do exactly what you are suggesting - it kills everything!

If the Formula 409 doesn't do the trick, I'll move on up the ladder to you're suggestion, but I think I'll do it out in the gazebo on a calm day.

Thanks,

I do this in a shower stall and turn on the fan for a while after I open the box, so far, knock on wood, it has not caused me harm. I would be very careful in a confined space and keep the kiddies away. I learned this back when I was a member of ABAA, Antiquarian Booksellers of America.

The same thing I use in my tennis shoes- Glade Apple Cinnamon spray air freshener.

I don't use chemicals just silica gel in a sachet, this removes odours and dampness.

What about Ozone?
After a house fire, ozone generators are used to remove the smoky smell. Anybody ever try this? It might be a decent way to treat aging leather goods.

I'd take a Goodwill suitcase to a fire restoration place and see if it works. Chemicals will just mask the smell.

The coffee method will remove the existing smell and eventually the coffe smell will disapate. We have used coffee for years when shipping sealed containers as moisture and mold control. It has been very effective without being toxic.

al

Thanks to all the suggestions so far.

I went the "Formula 409" route (dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride), but after a liberal spraying and two days of a closed case - the smell is still there. It is a little less objectionable - but if there is any smell at all, the mold will just keep growing and eventually I'll be back where I started.

I'll give it a couple of more days, but the Chlorine Gas route will be next - after I get back from the Northeast Side x Side.

APS, the Coffee approach is good for keeping mold from forming. I assume because it absorbs the moisture, but I'm pretty sure that it won't kill a mold colony once it has formed.

In any case, I'm still open for suggestions before I gas the neighborhood!

Thanks again.

Back from The Northeast Side x Side - opened the case and the smell is still there. the "409" solution didn't do the trick.
Waiting for a clear day (Saturday?) to give the Chlorine gas a try.
Will report back on results.

By the way, the Northeast Side x Side was a fun and very well run shoot.

As I said Waaaay up in the beginning of this thread coffee is the way to go. This Thompson SMG sat in this fabric lined case in a musty basement for years before I bought it and the interior of the case smelled horribly. I put several coffee filters filled with fresh coffee in it, closed the lid and let it sit for a week. Other than a mild coffee aroma which quickly disappated the musty dank smell was gone and did not come back.
Jim

Jim,

Do you have to give much lead on an outgoing "mini" with that thing?

Actually Mike the Tommy gun is a shotgun of sorts and they made special 18 round magazines to hold the special 45cal shotshells. While these were originally made for "riot control" purposes I suspect they'd work just as well in semi-auto mode shooting skeet. As an added benefit you'd only have to change magazines once each round!
Jim

Baking Soda?

I have used it on many different odor problems with excellent results. I once had the fish water from a cooler splash into the back carpet of my Expedition. Several applications and vacuumings eliminated the odor.

I have never used it on a gun case.

Best,

Mike

Post deleted by Run With The Fox

We just "called" our catfish up.......a lot quieter!!
Thanks Ma Bell.