De-smoke audio equipment ?

[yurka77]

Can someone recommend what to spray or what to do in order to get rid of the bad cig smoke smell that's coming from the inside of the unit ? thanks

 

[c.coyle]

If you open up the unit, you will likely find a sludgy film from smoke over the chassis and components. That has to be removed if you want the odor to go away. You'll get lots of good suggestions here. I use a citrus bike degreaser like Pedro's or Finish Line. You can find them at Amazon or online bike stores like Nashbar or Jensen.

Better yet, support your local bike shop.

Once the sludge is gone, a few days outdoors will usually get rid of the last little bit of stank.

EDIT: Per Avionic's post below, I usually dilute citrus degreaser 50-50.

 

[petehall347]

oust works pretty good but is a spray so not recommended . there is some other stuff in a bottle that i know to stand near it that even removes the smell of milk thats gone off on a carpet and that is pretty bad i tell you ...
Neutrodol
failing that . remove cover and put outside in the sun for a day or 2 .

 

[mkane]

I thought the surefire way was to put it in one of those sonic tanks

 

[avionic]

I'd just burn the retched thing............................ Just kidding of course..CCoyle pretty much sums it up. However..Citric degreaser can be pretty aggressive. Whatever you get. Test it on a piece of junk first. If all else fails...

 

[avionic]

a few days outdoors

Preferably bright sunny day. UV naturally eliminates odors....... Good luck in Connecticut this time of year.

 

[g..v]

Maybe some electric motor cleaner. Power off for sure. That's just a guess however, not power off, but electric motor cleaner.

 

[Electone]

I once took Simple Green, a paintbrush and then a hose to clean out a filthy, stinky receiver. After that, high pressure compressed air to blow out the water and laid it out in the sun to completely dry. That's the most extreme cleaning I've ever done.

 

[yurka77]

Thanks guys . So when I dilute the citric degreaser , do i spray it on the interior boards and hose it down ? Or how do I proceed with this 50-50 mixture of the degreaser ?

 

[Oerets]

Crumpled up news paper and coffee grounds both will soak up smells.

I will wash down the unit with windex set in the sun to dry. Place the news paper around inside the unit or coffee grounds into empty paper envelopes then sealed.

If this does not help in a week or so the the unit is placed in front of a fan all opened up on it's side with air blowing on it for another.


Barney

 

[c.coyle]

Thanks guys . So when I dilute the citric degreaser , do i spray it on the interior boards and hose it down ? Or how do I proceed with this 50-50 mixture of the degreaser ?

I myself don't spray anything on audio gear, although many do, with no ill effects. I apply it to boards and components with rags, paper towels, q-tips, or cheap bristle paintbrushes, depending on the tightness of the affected area. Then wipe off. I usually finish with some Windex to remove any residue.

I avoid applying any cleaning fluid to tuner variable capacitors, and I am very careful about keeping it from getting inside switches and pots. Again, some people are fearless about this, but not me.

Here is an old Sansui that was owned by a 3 pack-a-day guy. Left side of the chassis is still sludgy, right side has been cleaned.

 

[yurka77]

makes sense....thank you

 

[Blue Shadow]

Yes the D-150a looked like the DC-300a when I picked it up.



It was disassembled for cleaning.

The same is true for the Dahlquist DQ-10s photo posted but this is solid state not speakers so you have to click em to see em.

Finally, I cleaned up a dirty Crown PSA-2 prior to a recap and it came out nicely. I believe the process is discussed in this thread. http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/in...-psa-2-cleaning-and-return-to-service.555030/ This thread talks about using LPS Electro 140° cleaner which was the first wash step using a paint brush and letting everything run off the boards/parts. The second was an isoproply alcohol rinse which I use all the time especially after using water as it mixes with the water and rinses it off while drying much quicker. It also cuts through cigarette residue very easily.

Check out the link in that thread for a look at the power pack amp channels and the before and after pics.

 

[paullehmann]

Never do this to your Audio or Stereo Gear !!!

 

[James L Drew]

Mr Clean with Febreze 50/50 with water. I've used this on many vintage amps. Toothbrush works well for this.