Removing odours from plastics?

[tehmac]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any tips for removing any odours or smoke smells from plastic and metals etc? Any sort of particular wipes or gentle cleaning products? Just bought a second hand telescope and mount, and I haven't checked it since I bought it and put it in the garage, but there was some smoke smells in their house and I'm sure it's passed on to the items. I'd just like to get it all nice and shiny, and I'll be cleaning it anyway.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Gary

[wimvb]

If you clean the scope with a damp cloth and a mild soap solution, that would probably take care of smell also.

If parts are greasy, they can retain smell much longer. So clean away grease that shoudln't be there. Otherwise, smell usually wears off best when not in a sealed container.

And lastly, you can also try keeping it with an air freshener for a while.

Good luck

[tonylumley]

try baby wipes, gentle cleaning and as they are safe for baby bums would think they should be safe on plastics, however might pay to try on an older or less visible part, just in case they do react with your tube/tripod.

[acey]

Bicarbonate of soda is often used to neutralise stubborn odours. Other ideas are charcoal, vinegar or coffee. Don't know if any of them work on tobacco smoke, but if the smell is outgassing from plastic there will be no cure. I had an old MacBook that smelled like sweat because of gasses released by plastic in the keybord and the only solution was to replace the component.

[glowjet]

Once you have done your clean of the scope, leave it in the fresh air, such as in a garage or shed even outside with a protective waterproof cover. The odours often disappear after a little while