Musty old case aroma

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4806

I have a vintage Schilke single case that I haven't used for quite some time. Started using it recently on some shows where the convenience of using that case & its extra space for mutes & such makes the schleppiage much easier.

However...it has a very strong musty old-case aroma to it. It's so strong that when I open the case in a pit that anyone remotely close can smell it.

I really like the case and haven't seen any for sale on any trumpet sites for a long, long time, plus I'd rather not replace it if I can help it.

I've tried FeBreeze, but that only masks the odor and it really doesn't last all that long, either. If I use a lot of FeBreeze then THAT aroma is very noticeable in a pit.

Any suggestions on how or what to use to get the musty aroma eliminated?

Thanks!
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lakejw · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:34 am Post subject:

I remember buying a case from a cigar smoker once...I used a spray bottle to wet the lining with water and left if outside in the sun on a warm summer day. Seemed to work.

I've heard white vinegar does the trick pretty well, too.
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Dale Proctor · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:40 am Post subject:

I've sprayed them with Febreeze and left them outside in the sunshine during a few hot days in succession and it helped a lot. No Febreeze odor afterward, either. After that, leave it open at home until whatever remaining odor subsides.
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Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:22 am Post subject:

Sure it's the case, Tim?

One other thing I have done is to place an open box of baking soda or borax in the case and closed it up for a few days. Seemed to help, though sunlight and fresh air did as well or better. Guessing a few hot, sunny days is not an option for you right now...
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LittleRusty · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 1:51 pm Post subject:

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4806

Uberopa · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:13 pm Post subject:

Sigh. The same old stuff will now be trotted out. Febreeze, exposure to bright sunlight, ozonator, random nostrums including Bounce sheets. The bottom line is that unless you kill the mould spores and microorganisms inhabiting your case the stink will continue. Find a spore and bactericide that will work. In the meantime the voodoo dance will continue.

aTrumpetdude · Regular Member Joined: 20 Jun 2016 Posts: 74

I tried that spray pet odor eliminator Nature's Miracle last time I had a real bad one and it worked well. I also will leave a piece or charcoal litter box filter in old smelly cases. One more thing I started leaving those little silica desiccant packs in all my cases to control moisture.
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Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:59 pm Post subject:

LittleRusty · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:01 pm Post subject:

dstpt · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1284

Years ago I worked at a local Infinity dealership that took in high-line used cars on trade. To get rid of car odors, one trick they used was this:

-Pour some fresh, unused coffee grounds into a container...could be plastic, like Tupperware, or metal, like an actual, say, half-full metal can of Folger's, but it needs to be "short" enough so that you can put it inside the case and still be able to close the lid of the case.
-Cut up an apple in wedges and put on top of the coffee grounds.
-Set inside your stinky case and close the lid. (They'd put it in the back seat area of a car.)
-Let it stay like that over night or maybe even a full 24 hours. The coffee grounds will absorb the odors, and the apples combined leave a pleasant smell.

We did this to a used 1990 Jaquar XJ series that had been sold and came back trashed after the buyer used a bogus check as a deposit. There were cigarette butts everywhere inside that once beautiful car. After it was "treated" with this technique, you could not tell it had been trashed.

If this doesn't work, Tim, then sell your horns and buy a Jaquar. I'm told you won't regret it.

plankowner110 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 3620

Your case has mold and no case is worth the health risk to you and others. Pro-Tec makes the Pro-Tec Standard Trumpet Case with large storage area for mutes. Do your colleagues a favor and buy a nice new sturdy case for under $100.
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gabriel127 · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:04 am Post subject:

Have to agree with plankowner.

The dangers of mold are just beginning to get into the public awareness. Some people genetically are more resistant to the autoimmune and chronic illness can cause, while others can indeed get very sick from exposure to mold.

Yes, mold is everywhere, including outdoors. But when it becomes concentrated and embedded in porous materials, it proliferates and can be very harmful to those with these objects in their environment.

Depending on the species of mold being dealt with, some people are told by the mold experts to get rid of all of their clothes, all of their furniture that has wood in it, basically anything porous in their houses. If their house has wood framing, they are often told to move to a new house with no wood in it. Washing and drying clothes does not remediate the mold. Experts claim that in a house, certain species of mold can not be remediated. Some people have actually declared their homes a total loss, made insurance claims and then demolished the houses because they are safe to no one. I remember seeing one such case documented on a TV program. The house was in Texas and it was a 6-million dollar house. The mold problem originated from a leaky ice-maker line to the fridge that got into the wood flooring and was undetected for a long time.

Sounds shocking and extreme, but it's true. Stachybotrys mold is one of the most lethal to humans. When mold gets into your system, it is very tough to get out and it generates mycotoxins which poison the brain, causes inflammation, and over the long term causes many other diseases including alzheimers and cancer just to name a couple.

Stachybotrys is not that common, but aspergillus is and it can cause havoc with the health.

This is why it's important to keep wind instruments clean and to not bring any old vintage instruments and cases into the house 'cause it can contaminate the whole house over time.

It's very common for the cases of old vintage instruments to be infested with mold because quite often, an instrument that hasn't been swabbed dry gets put into a case. Then the instrument in the case goes into a closet or attic and stays there for many years. These are prime conditions for mold growth. So the instrument becomes full of mold and so does the case. Then someone comes along 30 years later, puts the horn up to their mouth and inhales a bunch of mold spores. And just being in the presence of the case they'll be breathing in a bunch too.

In such a case, the instrument can be cleaned ultrasonically or acid washed. Because the metal won't hold on to the mold spores so it is salvageable. But the case is not.

It's a tough thing to do because we all love vintage instruments and they can be sold for more money when they come with an original case that's still in good physical condition. But it's not worth the health risks to the seller or the buyer. Best thing to do is throw the case in a dumpster somewhere.

giakara · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:17 am Post subject: Re: Musty old case aroma

scottfsmith · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 10:58 am Post subject:

JoeLoeffler · Veteran Member Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 243

I never played a vintage case I liked very much... the horns, that is a different story.

You will probably never be able to get the mold smell out completely, even if you leave it in the sun for a month of Sundays. (Remember that you will be continually be adding moisture to the system everytime you put your recently-played horn away.) Bite the bullet sooner rather than later. Toss the old one and buy something new.

Grits Burgh · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:42 pm Post subject:

i've been dealing with a particularly smelly case for a 1945 King Cornet. I'm just about to throw in the towel on it. Shame it smells so bad because it looks kind of cool. However, I would never put my lips on anything that was stored in it.

I've done the sunshine thing. I've put it next to one of those airline ionization air purifiers for days. I've sprayed it with Fabreeze. I'm reluctant to waste good coffee beans on the thing.

So, if anybody comes up with ultimate fix, let me know.

Anybody interested in an old, smelly vintage King cornet case? You can have one - cheap.

Warm regards,
Grits
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dstpt · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1284

dstpt · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1284

Just had a thought to use a hair dryer or heat gun. Here's a google result:

HEAT GUN VS HAIR DRYER: THE HEAT TOOL THROW DOWN

http://blog.masterappliance.com/tool-tips/2016-08-31/heat-gun-vs-hair-dryer-the-heat-tool-throw-down/

"The heat gun obviously wins this round. Master Appliance heat guns can reach temperatures of up to 1,000 Fahrenheit. A handheld blow dryer might reach 131 degrees Fahrenheit. A hair dryer gets hot enough to burn skin, but not hot enough to complete serious tasks like striping paint and removing serious adhesives."

If the bacteria can be killed at 140 degrees (F) as one previous poster responded, then maybe using a heat gun could kill off all of it. Guess you have to be careful not to put your case on fire...

Craig Swartz · Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 5:51 am Post subject:

You've got mildew. I have about 30 old early 1900s cornets lying around (some old saxes, too) and they all had the same problem. The sunshine and a mildew spray took care of most of the problem for me, and I'd bet a sun lamp or even standing the open case fairly close to a space heater for a while would also kill the live mildew. (Disclaimer- not so close that the insides of the case catch fire- used to be you didn't need to say that, but city folk and all...) Vacuum the case thoroughly, put a drier sheet or two in and close it for a day or so, then repeat. It'll also kill the bedbugs... You can also help by wiping the lether parts of the outside with some Lemon Pledge.

You've got to quit storing your wet leadpipe swabs in your case...

Good luck.