PlaymoFriends
Creative => How-To => Topic started by: sunflower on November 25, 2013, 09:23:51
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Through Marktplaats (Dutch EBay) I bought a big lot of Playmobil (Safari and Zoo). This is meant to be a Sinterklaas present for my boys (and me).
Everything was complete and in good shape but the smell is horrific... I think it has been in a smokers house as a display for years.
I washed everything by hand with soap and cleaning vinegar. When this didn't help enough I buried it in Cat litter which also absorbs smell. After this I put everything in the dishwasher. But still when I open the plastic box there is a smell of smoke.
I have to start start hiding the gifts ans giftwrap them. Does anyone have more cleaning tips for me to avoid a smelly surprise when they open their gift?
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Let me know if you find it - one of the weird trailers still stinks some, and probably got it over 10 years ago, I think...
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It sounds like you've been very thorough with your cleaning already! :) I can't think of any other product you might try.
Many years ago, I also bought a large box of Playmo from eBay and discovered it was all reeking of smoke when it arrived. I don't think regular cleaning did much to remove the odour, but you could try leaving it open to the fresh air somewhere that the kids won't see it, as I think the smell did gradually fade away on the items I had. Keeping it in boxes or bags probably just helps it to retain the smell. I know you don't have much time to get it clean, but it might help a little.
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Let me know if you find it - one of the weird trailers still stinks some, and probably got it over 10 years ago, I think...
Oops really! I have it now on the garden table. I have two hours before they come home.
I'll try to buy some nice smelling items to put in the boxes just to mask (is this English?) the smell. Let you know if I can find a permanent solution or this was a new lesson learned in buying or maybe a punishment for me being greedy...
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Oops really! I have it now on the garden table. I have two hours before they come home.
I'll try to buy some nice smelling items to put in the boxes just to mask (is this English?) the smell. Let you know if I can find a permanent solution or this was a new lesson learned in buying or maybe a punishment for me being greedy...
Your English is quite right.
You say you are keeping it in plastic boxes which presumably came from the same house. This will also hold the smell of smoke, so washing the Playmobil and then putting it back in the original box from the house will just undo anything the washing has achieved. Wash the Playmobil again and out it in some other boxes, maybe new plastic ones. You could also try putting a dish of baking powder in with the Playmobil as this absorbs smells and, lastly, polish the Playmobil with a nice smelling furniture polish, but one that won't stain it.
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The boxes are new ones. The cardboard boxes it came in didn't even make our livingroom. I'll try the baking powder.
Polishing is also a good idea. Maybe something that is used for the plastic dashboards in cars?
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Good morning :wave:
This is a interesting topic indeed and shows how incredibly bad is smoking, not only for himself but his environment :(
I have used essential oils at home for years and I would recommend putting a few drops of Eucalyptus or Peppermint essentiel oïl in luke warm water and let your Klickies take a bath over night ;)
Karim
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Yeah, I don't think you'll smell anything over the peppermint oil. That's strong stuff, and it will certainly at least mask the odor. Be sure and wash the insides of the boxes, too, because every time you put the klickys in there, the plastic box is absorbing the smell. Most ebayers will say on the listing if the items are from a smoke-free home, and that's always a good thing to look for! The tobacco can also yellow the items, besides making them smell.
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Most ebayers will say on the listing if the items are from a smoke-free home, and that's always a good thing to look for! The tobacco can also yellow the items, besides making them smell.
That is what people do here too. Also if it's from a pet-free home. I thought this was important information when buying clothes or books. Now I know that I will ask before buying more Playmobil.
Thank you for all your tips.
I think I'll wash the boxes again and give the animals and rangers a peppermint bath after Sinterklaas. It's too hard to hide them while drying now.
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Well, it's good that it's from a smoke free home - don't really care if it's pet free (their loss)... But that never really decided an auction for me, either way.
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Pets I don't mind either. We have three cats ourselves. But this cost me a lot of time cleaning and drying - I don't have to tell you, Tahra.
But maybe I would even buy a yellowish smokey white elephant one day... I.m getting a bit obsessed I'm afraid.
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don't really care if it's pet free (their loss)...
Unfortunately, I do have to care about that. I love animals, but am severely allergic to cats and to the type of hay that is fed to small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits. :( That's part of why I spend so much time at the zoo. I can't have as many pets as I'd like in my home.
Sunflower, I did buy a yellowed white elephant, and I love it anyway. :love: It's so beautiful with the midnight blue headdress and all.
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And when you get a yellow elephant, Sunflower, and decide you want it to be white- well that's a whole new chapter of cleaning methods! There are some ideas on this forum, but its not easy to return yellow Playmobil to white.
I bought a lovely set of 10 figures a couple of days ago, reeking of tobacco tar. I soaked them in mild detergent overnight, left them to dry and put them in a new bag. Now even my 7-year old can't smell smoke on them. Your figures must have been buried in an ash-tray or something!
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Hi,
I know this old smoke problem, too. But I found a really good working solution.
I fill my bathtub hand high with hot water and a good lot of laundry detergent powder (I use Persil Megapearls, don´t know, whether it´s only to get in Germany ???) and let the Playmobil bath for one or two hours. After that time, I rinse the Playmobil with clear water and in nearly any case, the bad smell has gone. Only a few times, I have to repeat the bath, but in the end, it has always helped.
Try it! ;)
Daniela
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The boxes are new ones. The cardboard boxes it came in didn't even make our livingroom. I'll try the baking powder.
Baking soda, not powder. If you have time, I'd pour a whole bunch of baking soda in there and let it sit for a week.
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Reading all this I think I should quit smoking or throw away my Playmo, difficult choice 8} ;D
(just kidding; Playmo is the bigger addiction in my case ;) )
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Reading all this I think I should quit smoking or throw away my Playmo, difficult choice 8} ;D
I agree. Quit smoking. Think of all the extra playmomoney! (not to mention all other benefits, for you and everyone else around you)
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Can always smoke outside so you won't get the smell in your house. It's what most of my relatives do. :)
Some years ago before I got back to playmobil, I bought a lot of lego which came from a smoker's house. It's been standing quite a while build up in the attic, and the smell seems to be gone. It's an open space and one of the windows is always a bit open.
I believe the smell was gone quite fast, maybe in some months.
Might be different for playmobil though, don't think I had much smoked playmobil. Either way keeping it set up in an open space seems to help.
And put those clickies that smell of smoke in a circle with non smoking clickies, to form a support group. Can't have them swiping sigarettes somewhere and fall back to their old habit.
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We had a fire in the attic of our home in New Jersey in July of 2001. I had just stored all of the my classroom supplies there for the summer. Amidst the treasures, was a large box of lego bricks in a plastic container. The box was slightly melted, but the bricks were fine except for the smell. I put them in a fine mesh bag and placed them in the upper rack of the dishwasher. They came out with a slight smell and I put them on the deck for a few days. To my recollection, they were fine after that. I know the kids played with them that fall. I generally run used Playmobil items that I buy through the top rack of the dishwasher. Not a good idea though if there are any decals. ;D
Joe
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I am happy to tell you that after a last bath with perfumed oil and a couple of weeks out of the box. I don't smell the smoke anymore. Thank you for all your help.
Last week I found this happy little smoker at my parents house. He will get a nice place of his own far away from the children and animals :lol:
(http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy16/Marleen_van_Vuurde/DSC_1325_zps0be67128.jpg)
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He is grand! :love: What a lucky find!
Joe
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Through Marktplaats (Dutch EBay) I bought a big lot of Playmobil (Safari and Zoo). This is meant to be a Sinterklaas present for my boys (and me).
Everything was complete and in good shape but the smell is horrific... I think it has been in a smokers house as a display for years.
I washed everything by hand with soap and cleaning vinegar. When this didn't help enough I buried it in Cat litter which also absorbs smell. After this I put everything in the dishwasher. But still when I open the plastic box there is a smell of smoke.
I have to start start hiding the gifts ans giftwrap them. Does anyone have more cleaning tips for me to avoid a smelly surprise when they open their gift?
hi there, i know this is an older post but i thought i would add that we have had very good luck with products like nature's miracle. do you know it? farm supply shops sell it for pest stench removal, it's widely used for getting rid of cat and dog urine smells. it works great with smoke or chemical smells as well.
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hi there, i know this is an older post but i thought i would add that we have had very good luck with products like nature's miracle. do you know it? farm supply shops sell it for pest stench removal, it's widely used for getting rid of cat and dog urine smells. it works great with smoke or chemical smells as well.
I have used that for cat urine smells and it works great, never thought of it for getting rid of the smoke smell! Thanks, will have to try it out. :)
Joe
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I have used that for cat urine smells and it works great, never thought of it for getting rid of the smoke smell! Thanks, will have to try it out. :)
Joe
no problem. it has a 'secret sauce' in it that does wonders.