OldePhart
Well-known member
There have been several threads on removing odors from ukes and cases. Most of them involve rice or baking soda or some combination of rice and baking soda shaken inside the uke but this one has a pickup and I really didn't want loose material getting into the coiled wiring or the jack, etc. One of the ukes I purchased used was very dry when I got it but had a slightly musty, mildew smell as if it had once been very wet and then allowed to dry out.
With proper humidification at around 50% the smell got stronger, even though I couldn't find any visible signs of mold or mildew with a lighted inspection mirror.
Yesterday I had a brainstorm (yes, it was painful ). I poured baking soda into a coffee filter and folded it over and taped it up where it couldn't leak, then tucked it in the strings in the sound hole and closed the case. That was around 3PM yesterday afternoon. This morning the uke smells fresh as a daisy - well, actually, it doesn't have any smell at all.
I would like to find a small UV-C lamp that I can slip inside for a few hours at the next string change, just in case there is mold growing deep inside somewhere, but the baking soda in the coffee filter worked wonders - I expected it to take several days to absorb the strong odor but about 18 hours seems to have done the job quite nicely.
I also expected to have to mask any remaining odor by putting coffee in the body for a while but that doesn't seem to be needed, either.
John
With proper humidification at around 50% the smell got stronger, even though I couldn't find any visible signs of mold or mildew with a lighted inspection mirror.
Yesterday I had a brainstorm (yes, it was painful ). I poured baking soda into a coffee filter and folded it over and taped it up where it couldn't leak, then tucked it in the strings in the sound hole and closed the case. That was around 3PM yesterday afternoon. This morning the uke smells fresh as a daisy - well, actually, it doesn't have any smell at all.
I would like to find a small UV-C lamp that I can slip inside for a few hours at the next string change, just in case there is mold growing deep inside somewhere, but the baking soda in the coffee filter worked wonders - I expected it to take several days to absorb the strong odor but about 18 hours seems to have done the job quite nicely.
I also expected to have to mask any remaining odor by putting coffee in the body for a while but that doesn't seem to be needed, either.
John