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LuxembearsHi. I recently bought a cute little antique teddy bear from the internet. The only problem aside from some sewing repairs, is a musty smell. She came with clothes that smelled of moth balls so I hand washed them.
I have surface cleaned her with mild soap and water...but only the surface, I would never submerge a jointed bear.....but she still has a bit of an odor of mustiness.
Right now I have her sitting on top of a bowl of backing soda buy was wondering if any of you have any suggestions on freshening up old bears?
Has anyone tried Fabreeze?
Thanks very much.
Hi Judi, I have put old bears and dolls in a bag with cedar shavings and that helps... it more covers up the smell though that gets rid of it. I would put the bear in a bag with the baking soda for a few days.. but try not to get it on the bear. I don't think spraying febreeze on it would be the best idea... the chemicals might harm the old fabric. Maybe put some frebreeze in a bowl beside the bear in a sealed container .... but I would not get it on the bear directly. Or white vinegar in a bowl, I've heard that can help..
Good luck!
Hugs!
Melanie
I've not tried this but I have heard it works: Put a cup of coffee beans in a box with the bear. Put a lid on the box and keep it closed for one week.
Let me know if it dies.....er, does. Little typo there. Ha!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
VallierBearsI've not tried this but I have heard it works: Put a cup of coffee beans in a box with the bear. Put a lid on the box and keep it closed for one week.
Let me know if it dies.....er, does. Little typo there. Ha!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Aleta,
That reminded me of a few years ago when my granma said about getting nice scented paper was too put a ream of paper in a box with cotton wool balls soaked in an essential oil. Leave for a week and the paper is then scented.
Coffee paper sounds, Wonderfull!!
*Sorry slightly off topic there*
I have heard of but not tried by myself, place a bowl of water with a cut up lemmon in the microwave for 3 mins, Take out the bowl and put the bear in the microwave, with some heiste, let sit for 5 mins and apprently, takes the smell of SMOKE out of faux bear fur. *Caution do NOT turn the microwave on with the bear inside*
Maybe it will help?
Richy~
Newcastle, OntarioJudi,
My niece buys old toys, linens and quilts etc., then cleans and repairs them for resale and she says sometimes the best cure for a musty smell is just to put it outside, where it can literally get fresh air. She bought an old fur coat that had a musty smell and said that a month hanging in her garage, even in the cold, was the only thing that worked. Could you place the bear maybe in an open box, in a safe spot in your garage or maybe put it repeatedly outside on a sunny day? It might take a while, but she says it will gradually dissipate and it's the safest method on old fabrics that can't be gently hand washed.
hugs,
Brenda
Posts: 3,540Hubby and I have had ozone generators for years. We've used them for the dog grooming shop to remove 'pongy' wet doggie smells. http://www.wormsway.com/detail.asp?sku=UVO600 We've used this brand for years and I highly recommend it!!! We use the 'middle' size (3,000 cubic ft). It changes the smell with the oxygen, so that the smell is altered and removed. I've used this for some seriously desperate coats. For a coat that was steeped in mothballs for fifty years it took the ozone generator roughly a week with me rotating the coat, but for lighter smells only a day is truly necessary, sometimes just hours.
I've also found its the only thing reliable for removing cat wee smells. 
But as the others say, sometimes just giving it a good airing in the sunshine will work wonders.
LuxembearsWow, you all have some really great and different ideas. I am going to give them a go and see what happens. Thank you very much for your suggestions. 
:hug:
My mom sells antiques and uses coffee grounds and kitty litter to get the musty smell out of furniture and old coats... She puts the litter in old pantyhose and layers it in/on the coats and puts it in the drawers of the furniture...
What a fun experiment!
Chaska, MinnesotaJudi: it is still winter which is in your favor. Put the bear outside for several days to air it out. The fresh cold air has been know to take out the orders like moth balls. Just make sure you have it under a covered area, but it should be outside. I bet that will do the trick.
LuxembearsThanks Ladies. You all have such great solutions. My bear has hope now 
