Help removing cigarette smoke smell from uke

provines

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Does anyone have a good remedy to remove the smell of cigarette smoke from a uke? I picked one up and when you hold it, it smells. If you dare and sniff the soundhole......

Any ideas?
 
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How many cigarettes does your uke smoke a day? Have you tried getting him onto nicotine patches?
 
Some people have suggested filling the soundbox with dry rice, and let it sit for awhile (like days). I haven't had to try it yet, but it is worth a look.

–Lori
 
Ok, this may be a silly question, but why do you want to remove it? Are you trying to sell it, or did you just buy it?

Honestly, if you are the one who gave it that smell - and you're keeping the uke..... I would let it stay smokey. It's character, completely harmless to the uke itself. Part of it's history.... Unless you just can't stand the smell?
 
+1 for rice.

It got a smoke/must odor out of an old uke.

I only used a cup or two; then I taped the uke's sound hole, put it in a clean case, and forgot about it for a couple of days.

The only hiccup was that I used some rice I found in the back of the pantry. And while back of the pantry signifies -- to me -- something we haven't used in a looooooong time, back of the pantry signifies -- to my wife -- something that's too good to be used on a regular basis. I short, I used the fancy rice!
 
Part of the rice trick is to put dry rice in the ukulele, tape the sound hole with blue painters tape, and then shake it all around to clean off the inside of the ukulele a bit. You will be amazed at how much dirt and filth this will remove from the inside of a dirty uke. I have done it with three ukuleles and it made a world of difference.

Also, have you really cleaned the outside of the ukulele really, really well? I had a uke that arrived just reeking of cigarette smoke. I cleaned the outside of the uke several times before I got all the stench out, but then when I played a song, stink just came shooting out of the sound hole. That is when I went to the rice trick. It worked extremely well, and I had to do it three times before the rice came out clean.
 
I've had the issue with one uke, and Bounce sheets in the sound hole and in the case took care of it.
 
Does anyone have a good remedy to remove the smell of cigarette smoke from a uke? I picked one up and when you hold it, is smells. If you dare and sniff the soundhole......

Any ideas?

I had one that smelled from 3 feet away. The luthier was a heavy smoker and didn't disclose that in his sales ad. I liked the sound of the uke so I had it sitting in a box of rice for about a month and the smell never went away. Sadly, the uke is sitting in my garage un-played because the smell of smoke just ruined it. I hope you have better luck than I do.
 
I had one that smelled from 3 feet away. The luthier was a heavy smoker and didn't disclose that in his sales ad. I liked the sound of the uke so I had it sitting in a box of rice for about a month and the smell never went away. Sadly, the uke is sitting in my garage un-played because the smell of smoke just ruined it. I hope you have better luck than I do.

Maybe I am mistaken, but somehow people seem to think that rice will "absorb" the smell, but the way I have had it be effective is to have it inside the soundbox and shake the heck out of the uke....causing the rice to gently scour the inside of the ukulele.

Cheeso....I think you should send that un-played, stinking uke to me! :rolleyes:
 
Get back to work! ;-=)

Maybe I am mistaken, but somehow people seem to think that rice will "absorb" the smell, but the way I have had it be effective is to have it inside the soundbox and shake the heck out of the uke....causing the rice to gently scour the inside of the ukulele.

Cheeso....I think you should send that un-played, stinking uke to me! :rolleyes:
 
Peeeyeeew! Good luck! If my uke smelled like tobacco and I couldn't get rid of it, I'd GET RID OF IT!
 
Thanks for the advice Ryan. This seems like something I can do. I even have the painters tape already! I need to give this a shot on an old Harmony baritone, which kind of smells like my grandpa. Just a little musty.


Part of the rice trick is to put dry rice in the ukulele, tape the sound hole with blue painters tape, and then shake it all around to clean off the inside of the ukulele a bit. You will be amazed at how much dirt and filth this will remove from the inside of a dirty uke. I have done it with three ukuleles and it made a world of difference.

Also, have you really cleaned the outside of the ukulele really, really well? I had a uke that arrived just reeking of cigarette smoke. I cleaned the outside of the uke several times before I got all the stench out, but then when I played a song, stink just came shooting out of the sound hole. That is when I went to the rice trick. It worked extremely well, and I had to do it three times before the rice came out clean.
 
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