Question from Lauri
A friend recently was kind enough to give me a used fax machine and a used printer. However, he wears A LOT of cologne, and both of the machines reek of it. We have let them air out on our patio table outside for almost a week, but there is no change. Is there anything I can do to get rid of the perfume smell?
I am very chemically sensitive, and can not bring these items in with this odor, even thought I really appreciate somebody giving them to me.
Thank you.
Debra’s Answer
Readers?
It may not be worth it to go this far, but I imagine most of the smell is on the parts that were touched. If you can remove all the external/touchable parts that have not electronics in them, soak those parts in a solution of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and a tiny bit of dishwashing soap (handwashing soap, not machine) and soak for several hours. We found this tip effective at getting nearly all of the stink from our dog’s collar and harness where regular laundering didn’t do much. Oxygen-based cleaners (such as Oxiclean Free) should work in place of the hydrogen peroxide as well. If you don’t care if the machine gets broken in case this next idea doesn’t work, you could also try (unplug it first!) just spraying/brushing plain hydrogen peroxide (no baking soda or soap) on all the stinky parts and let it dry completely, such as several days to a week in a warm 70F+ room with a fan to circulate air or in the sun. Many electronics (circuit boards) can be fine getting wet, as long as they dry out COMPLETELY before any electricity is run through them.
Let us know how it works!