Jump to content

Remedy to remove tobacco smoke stench?


jheis

Recommended Posts

You can get a degreaser, to safely wash the preamp. Some are safe for pastics and the environment both. May cost you around $10 or so at an electronics store. It will cut the oils and tar from the smoke and wash it out. You can check out some of the different kinds here:

http://www.chemtronics.com/products/americas/e/cleaner_degreasers.asp

We used Chentronics stuff a lot, and it never bothered me bothered me bothered me...

Seriously, this stuff will work great to get that junk off. If you don't get it off, dust will stick to it and cause early component failure.

Bruce

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ironwoods:

Congrat's on the ST-140.

A ST-140 was my first piece of B&K gear, and it's what I'm using

with the newly acquired PT 3 in my office. Sweet little

amp.

Did you get the original 70 wpc version or the later 105 wpc

one? That's one thing that B&K is kind of weird about.

Amps with different spec's, but the same model number - or sometimes vice versa.

I have a late version ST-1400 II which, I've been told, is exactly the

same as my ST-2140 - except for the faceplate and the model #.

I'll keep your kind offer under consideration. [;)]

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the one I aquired is rated @ 105 wpc. It doesn't have the gold striping, which to my understanding, denotes the 70 watt version. B&K doesn't have the .pdf manual posted on their site, which surprised me, as it has always been well reviewed piece. My interest was it's impedence capabilities, so that's the only thing they mentioned in an e-mail reply for a manual. Do you have the manual for yours?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ironwoods:

Nope, no manual.

My serial # is 7149. I know (from emailing somebody who had one

for sale on ebay) that serial numbers as early as 5223 were 105 wpc,

but I don't know what the change over number was - it could have been

much earlier.

The early versions have a round push button on/off switch (as opposed

to the rocker type switch) and they had a square shaped transformer

(versus the toroidal transformer used in the later models) also

noticably smaller capacitors.

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

CAUTION THIS MAY BE VERY BAD ADVICE!

Just basicaly thinking out loud but how about really pure alcohol?

It evaporates and you can use q-tips and such to clean inside the amp

and after removing the batteries simply pour it into the remote and let

dry for several hours.

Or what about the Techspray degreasers and cleaners that

are sold through Parts Express? Supposed to safe for plastics,

rubber and electrical components. You could wait a day to ame

sure all caps are discharged and then use it.

I'd also be interested in knowing if any of this stuff works because I 'm a heavy smoker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I could quote myself about the degreasers (cough, cough), but I won't.

They work great. I'm not sure about on the remote, but the amp itself

would be fine. Take the thing outside, decide where you want the junk

to flow out of and make that's the low corner. Spray from the high

point down.

You can also use with a small brush to scrub over parts as well.

If you want, try on a cheap piece of gear first, to see how it works.

Bruce

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I worked in a Ford dealership, in the bodyshop. We received a truck that had part of the interior burned out, due to a faulty 110 volt ceramic heater ( designed to heat a small area ). The windows on the truck looked like they were all tinted, even the windshield!

In short, the only true fix for smells is to remove and replace any porus materials, and wash all other materials thoroghly.

I have an Akai integrated amplifier that used to smell like smoke. ( not too badly though ) After removing the cover and washing it several times in Windex, on the inside and outside, it smelled much better. I ended up wiping as much as I dared on the inside with q-tips and windex, must have used a half-box.

Much better. I also have a table-style arcade game with a CRT screen in it. It still smells like smoke, when it gets warm, used to be in a bar about a half-decade ago. After cleaning as much as I can without totally dissasembling the unit, I can say that it is better, but still not right.

The smell is in the wood. Without replicating the cabinet or sealing it with a non-porus coating, it will never go away totally.

While this may not apply to the remote, I will suggest trying to clean the remote ( in the battery compartment and around the buttons on the keypad with windex. ( Be careful and try it on one button first to be sure the lettering does not come off )

Febreze simply covers odours up, they come back. ( proved this in the dealership ) Washing items to remove the small particulates does seem to work, providing the item is washable and non-porus ( unlike a vehicle seat, which would require replacement )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Febreze simply covers odours up, they come back. ( proved this in the dealership ) Washing items to remove the small particulates does seem to work, providing the item is washable and non-porus ( unlike a vehicle seat, which would require replacement )

Are you sure? According to P&G:

"Febreze is designed to permanently remove odours that are trapped in household and car fabrics and leave behind a light fresh scent. Sprayed onto the fabric, unlike a cover-up perfume, Febreze penetrates deep into the fibres and dissolves the odour as the fabric dries. It is ideal for virtually all fabrics and especially good at eliminating everyday odours such as cigarette smoke, cooking smells, musty/damp smells and pet odours."

Here's another suggestion:

Activated charcoal will soak up odors. Spread about 3 ounces of fine powdered charcoal on a sheet of aluminum foil or a shallow pan. Place this on the object to be cleaned, and then seal them in a plastic bag or container so that the charcoal is not absorbing other odors. After 6 or 8 hours, put the pan of charcoal in a moderate 350 degree oven to reactivate it so it can be re-used. Repeat until the odor disappears.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Am I sure? I am pretty sure that proctor and gamble didn't test their product in a burned truck, I did. And I am definately sure that it does not work as advertised, for some instances, yes it will, but not in the application I used.

The insurance company was cheap, and they were going to write the truck off, we did get a scrapyard dash, but they would not go for new seats and a headliner. The carpet had to be replaced, as it was burned, along with one doorpanel and the dash.

They insisted that the truck was going to be fine after a good cleaning, and a treatment with an industrial ozone generator. I am here to tell you it was not acceptable, I drove the unit back from a detail place an hour away, and I had to have all the windows open.

At the dealership, we used 2 bottles of Febreeze, spraying everything: headliner, seats, sun visors and the like. After a couple hours, the smell returned, just as bad as it was before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A mild solution of vinegar and water will remove

the smell as well as any grime. Use a sponge, wipe up excess.

If it smells like a salad after it dries, you used too much vinegar!

DM

You're still using something with water. The tech sprays will work better and be safer for the gear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

jheis, the smoke smell may be from a few different things, and you need to find out to fix it.

The smell may be from the stinky air surrounding the equipment at the time of packaging.

If this is the case you just have to wait a while for the stench to go away and you can speed this up by placing the equipment in a well ventilated area for a weekend.

The smell my be coming from the residue of tobacco smoke...(TAR) This leaves a sticky, grease like residue, that can be super thin and hard to detect, or it can be thick from years of exposure.

If this is the case you must remove the tar in order to remove the stench. Removal of tobacco tar is pretty easy, but you have to get all surfaces/parts cleaned because the smoke infiltrates every opening without fail...and stains everything it contacts. Plain Dawn dish soap and hot water work good, and this does not effect printing or tampo labels too often, but be careful with whatever you choose to clean the equipment with.

The smell may be coming from someone sneaking a smoke in your office just to make you wonder, and squirm. A good practical joke deserves an equally well thought out revenge...have fun if this is the case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...