Removing odor from stinky comics? 4 4

[fantastic_four]

-slym

Thanks, Slym.

 

Okay, so it's been 10 days or more. I had placed the sealed box of kitty litter and comics high on a shelf where it was easy to forget about.

 

Today I lifted it down and opened up the plastic bag and the bin.... It was the moment of truth: Would my incredibly stinky comics still stink to high heaven? Or would they be cured via the magic of kitty litter?

 

The verdict: The comics are remarkably cured of odor! I am really impressed. This method WORKS, and it works WELL.

 

Whatever the chemical process involved, the odor was transfered from the comics to the kitty litter. There is the faintest residual left-over odor on the inside pages of the comics, but the outer pages and cover have no discernable odor at all, other than for any old comic book.

 

What really makes me happy is that whereas I had downgraded the comics' grades by at least 1 or 2 points due to the odor, now I can legitimately judge their grade at the level they would get based on everything else. So, the comics I considered as GD/VG are now VG or VG+, etc.

 

That means for the outlay of $6.50 (kitty litter) and the time it took to put everything in a plastic bin (about 30 minutes, which would have been less if I hadn't been photographing the steps for this message chain), I come out ahead to the tune of whatever increased value the comics have due to their grades getting significant and legitimate upward bumps.

 

Long story short: I am really happy with the outcome of this effort. It far exceeded my hopes.

 

I am tempted to go through all my other comics just to find the ones with the mustiest odors so I can de-odorize them too.

 

Here's a pic of the "moment of truth" bin-opening with now odor-free comics inside:

 

 

Awesome.

[slym2none]

Well done!

 

 

 

-slym

[vaultkeeper]

Two stinky thumbs-up. (thumbs u (thumbs u

[towards2112]

OK - I have been reading this with my jaw dropping more and more.So here is my take:

 

1) While it is a popular remedy to mention, baking soda does little to actually absorb odors. This is a play by Arm and Hammer to get people to buy boxes of baking soda for their refrigerators. It makes a little - stress little - impact. But it sells a ton of baking soda.

 

2) I keep seeing to put the books in a "container". What does that mean? Lead? Steel? Plastic? Something that basically blocks any air flow? Nah.

 

So what to do?

 

1) Go to a Pet Supply store. Get some "activated charcoal" used for aquariums. This stuff has little if any dust.

 

2) Get a covered container that can house your books plus a couple of inches on each side. Plastic is fine.

 

3) Pour some of the charcoal in the container so it is partially filled..

 

4) Put your books in a kraft paper envelope and close it. Seal it if you have to. The paper will allow the charcoal to penetrate and do its work.

 

5) Place the kraft envelope on top of the partially filled charcoal.

 

6) Pour more charcoal over the kraft envelope.

 

7) Cover the container.

 

8) Wait 3 days and pull the envelope from the charcoal. Do a sniff test. If needed, re-insert the envelope into the middle of the charcoal. Wait a few more days and sniff again. If more is needed you may want to re-arrange the books so the inner ones are now at the outside.

 

If you have a lot of books you will want to spread them out over a few containers.

 

Now before the pitchforks come out about kraft paper, which is not friendly to comics acid-wise, a week or so will do nothing harmful.

 

But the activated charcoal is a very effective odor neutralizer. And when you are finished with your books, you can pour it into a couple of open containers and put them in your fridge to reduce odors. And save the rest for more comics.

 

 

Pretty close, it is actually the molecules producing the odors that get locked

into the charcoal. And the old joke about how do you smell moth balls ?

Well, she holds the moth down and prys his tiny legs apart.

 

 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question209.htm

[Ze-man]

I have used both kitty liter, and this product.

 

http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1630&primary=1&parentId=&navTree[]=1262&navTree[]=1296&navTree[]=1630

 

With the latter working more effectively. Granted, it's more expensive.

 

But I always felt weird telling people I was going to put their books in kitty litter.

 

Only thing I would suggest is to do fewer comics at once. And even better, open the book at the centerfold(if possible). Laying it right on top of the material.

 

This allows greater exposure to the material trying to pull odors out.

 

[DWL]

I have used both kitty liter, and this product.

 

http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1630&primary=1&parentId=&navTree[]=1262&navTree[]=1296&navTree[]=1630

 

With the latter working more effectively. Granted, it's more expensive.

 

But I always felt weird telling people I was going to put their books in kitty litter.

 

Only thing I would suggest is to do fewer comics at once. And even better, open the book at the centerfold(if possible). Laying it right on top of the material.

 

This allows greater exposure to the material trying to pull odors out.

 

For give me if this is a silly question but I just want to clarify. Is it okay for the comic to come into direct contact with the kitty litter?

[Ze-man]

I have used both kitty liter, and this product.

 

http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1630&primary=1&parentId=&navTree[]=1262&navTree[]=1296&navTree[]=1630

 

With the latter working more effectively. Granted, it's more expensive.

 

But I always felt weird telling people I was going to put their books in kitty litter.

 

Only thing I would suggest is to do fewer comics at once. And even better, open the book at the centerfold(if possible). Laying it right on top of the material.

 

This allows greater exposure to the material trying to pull odors out.

 

For give me if this is a silly question but I just want to clarify. Is it okay for the comic to come into direct contact with the kitty litter?

 

I was speaking more to the archival safe stuff! Not pee-be-gone kitty kat klump litter.

 

 

[DWL]

I have used both kitty liter, and this product.

 

http://www.universityproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=1630&primary=1&parentId=&navTree[]=1262&navTree[]=1296&navTree[]=1630

 

With the latter working more effectively. Granted, it's more expensive.

 

But I always felt weird telling people I was going to put their books in kitty litter.

 

Only thing I would suggest is to do fewer comics at once. And even better, open the book at the centerfold(if possible). Laying it right on top of the material.

 

This allows greater exposure to the material trying to pull odors out.

 

For give me if this is a silly question but I just want to clarify. Is it okay for the comic to come into direct contact with the kitty litter?

 

I was speaking more to the archival safe stuff! Not pee-be-gone kitty kat klump litter.

 

 

Thank you for the clarification! (thumbs u

[DavidTheDavid]

Index this in Swick's noob thread! (thumbs u

Edited February 1, 2014 by DavidTheDavid

[NTHstars]

Will this technique work on people? Just curious.

 

Anyhoo, last year I got out all of my old comics to organize them, and ended up sleeping in the same room.

 

The stink was so obnoxious I developed comic lung and coughed ferociously on my co-workers all day. My explanation was poorly understood.

[slym2none]

Does "comic-lung" have a funny sound when you cough?

 

 

 

 

-slym

[NTHstars]

There's no sound, just a thought bubble with "cough" written in it.

 

[slym2none]

 

 

 

-slym

[VintageComics]

Will this technique work on people? Just curious.

 

Most people don't realize that BO is a product of the animal products we eat eminating through the skin and as a race, I personally believe we eat way too much of it. It's so damn tasty though. I'm currently ripping into a chicken shawarma (cheers to Tupenny).

 

 

 

 

[slym2none]

 

 

 

-slym

[VintageComics]

 

 

 

-slym

 

Everyone is allowed a random, mildly OT post once in a while!

[MBFan]

Here's a vote for baking soda.

 

I bought a comic via eBay a few months ago that had a horrible smell, like kerosene, but worse.

 

At WalMart I purchased an under bed storage box with lid, a wire "folding stacking shelf" and the cheapest baking soda they had. Without folding the legs out, the shelf fit perfectly in the box. I spread out 2 boxes of baking soda in the bottom of the box, opened the stinky book and laid it on the shelf. Then I put the lid on and left it alone for awhile.

 

Over the course of a couple of months, I occasionally took the shelf out, stirred the baking soda to expose fresh particles, turned a few pages in the book, put the shelf & book back in, and sealed it up again.

 

I'm happy to report that the book smells MUCH better than before, and the stink has transferred to the baking soda. The book now has only a hint of the old smell; so little that it no longer calls attention to itself by smell alone.

[Stumptown]

Good thread and info.

 

I recently bought 500 books that all have moth ball/woodsy smell and have just been airing/laying them out in the garage but will try the dual box kitty litter method.

[Junkdrawer]

Will this technique work on people? Just curious.

 

Most people don't realize that BO is a product of the animal products we eat eminating through the skin and as a race, I personally believe we eat way too much of it. It's so damn tasty though. I'm currently ripping into a chicken shawarma (cheers to Tupenny).

 

 

 

I never heard of shawarma until the Avengers movie. Yet to try it.

[W16227]

Will this technique work on people? Just curious.

 

Most people don't realize that BO is a product of the animal products we eat eminating through the skin and as a race, I personally believe we eat way too much of it. It's so damn tasty though. I'm currently ripping into a chicken shawarma (cheers to Tupenny).

 

 

 

I never heard of shawarma until the Avengers movie. Yet to try it.

 

http://www.pita-inn.com/menu.php

 

tried it at the pita inn - pretty good stuff.....