12 replies to this topic

[Rose]

I have a very old concertina with a musty odor... a professional in restoration has examined this instrument and it is quite sound. The musty smell comes from very extended storage.

Can anyone offer a remedy for this?

Thank you,
Rose

[Rose]

And as you can obviously discern from the title of this thread,... I also have a spelling problem .

[JimLucas]

And as you can obviously discern from the title of this thread,... I also have a spelling problem .

And here I thought your thread was about a rancid river!

Actually, I'm heartened by the fact that ewe no ewe maid eh miss-steak. People's awareness of spelling has gotten so bad that I cringe at the errors even in the New York Times, never mind on the internet.

[JimLucas]

I have a very old concertina with a musty odor ... The musty smell comes from very extended storage.

The musty smell is most likely due to mold which grew while it was stored in a damp place. If it hasn't been recently restored, a general professional cleaning is probably in order. If it has been cleaned and still has some odor, I would recommend keeping in the case some bits of orange or lemon peel, or slices of apple. (Change them frequently enough that they don't get moldy.) If the smell is in the interior of the concertina -- and if you can bear to not play it for a while, -- you might want to separate the ends from the bellows and put all parts in an enclosed box with some citrus peel for a couple of weeks.

If the moldy smell also permeates the case, you might want to get a new case.

[Theo]

I have had good results using fabric freshener "febreze" to remove musty smells from a melodeon bellows. Spray sparingly into the inside of the bellows to apply a light mist to all the inside surfaces, having first removed the ends to a safe dry distance. Then allowed to dry naturally befor reassembling. The smell then disappeared over aperiod of a week or two.

Theo

[Robin Harrison]

...If the smell is only mild,don't worry;cherish it...I love the smell of old concertinas !! Robin

[martyn]

I agree with Robin and also love the smell of old concertinas. I'm pretty sure each make has it's own individual aroma, particularly on unrestored instruments. I have some old Jeffries bellows, which I keep in a cabinet with my concertinas, and they smell wonderful. In fact I quite often pick them up and have a sniff.
How sad can you get?

Martyn

[JimLucas]

I love the smell of old concertinas !!

The smell of old concertinas is great.
The smell of old mildew is not!

[Rose]

As much as I agree with you all re: the smell of old concertinas, this particular smell is more unpleasant than pleasant, and I'd like to get rid of it.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll be trying them out.

If you'd like to see pictures of this instrument I have them posted in this thread:

http://www.concertin...?showtopic=1433

Thank you everyone!

Rose

[AlexCJones]

I have one concertina that has a musty smell to its bellows. I have read that vinegar, grapefruit seed extract or tea tree oil are effective in killing and cleaning up mildew around the house. Is there anything wrong with using any of these substances to rid the bellows of a musty odor?

[d.elliott]

I have had good results using fabric freshener "febreze" to remove musty smells from a melodeon bellows. Spray sparingly into the inside of the bellows to apply a light mist to all the inside surfaces, having first removed the ends to a safe dry distance. Then allowed to dry naturally befor reassembling. The smell then disappeared over aperiod of a week or two.

Theo

I have seen concertinas with white strands of mildew and fungus growing out of the insides of bellows folds, around pads and on valves, nasty and very smelly. I was directed to the book binders to use one of their preparations as this is a common problem in old books (apparently) I suggest you poke around for contacts in your locality, or at the local museum,

Dave

[Alex West]

My son who runs a tea business in China tells me that tea leaves, roots, shoots etc are a traditional remedy for bad odours. When his new apartment was built, he was recommended to put piles of tea in each room to absorb the damp and neutralise the "new plaster" smell before painting, papering and generally furnishing.

I have to say, I haven't tried it for concertinas (none of mine is quite that bad), but I do know of a good source if you want to try it! (short of either raiding the supermarket for cheap tea or shredding your favourite camellia).

Alex West

[Simon H]

Deodorising foot spray. Kills any fungal spores and leaves everything sweet smelling. Used with great success on some particularly bad instruments.
Simon