[tolvstad]

I bought some foul weather gear off of craigslist.....and man do they stink!! Not sure what the smell is....but its bad. uke The brand is Timberland. It is an older set, but in decent condition, especially if you have a plugged nose. I have tried washing it several times with not success. Has anyone else run into this? Any Ideas?

 

[VallelyJ]

Probably depends entirely on what the odor is. I bought a rug once that had cat urine odor which is notoriously hard to get rid of. A product called "Anti Icky Poo" (I know, dumb name) got rid of it completely. Spray it on and leave it a few days or a week. It works by breaking up the organic molecules that produce the odor. Might work as well on any other odor with an organic source. Got it at a local vet's.
JV

 

[Bill-Rangatira]

hydrogen peroxide is good at cleaning organic matter off synthetics

 

[SVTatia]

Usually foul weather gear is treated with some compounds to keep it water proof and if you wash and use chemicals on it it could loose its effectiveness.
I would just chuck it and take the loss - after all you do to make it smell good not sure if it would ever do what it was supposed to - keep you dry.

 

[VallelyJ]

Why toss it till you try? The "chemicals" are basically waterproofing that you can buy in a spray can. (Practical Sailor reviewed them recently, by the way.) You can find out if they're still waterproof after the stink is gone by spraying them with a hose. Then treat them if need be with a spray can, and test them again.
I did that with a dirty used Mustang survival suit and it's worked fine.
JV

 

[manatee]

White vinegar is good for removing odors -- we saved my friends' freezer with it, after a power failure while they were away.

 

[ultraclyde]

A lot of dive shops in FL that rent wetsuits swear by our disinfectant / deodorizer OdoBan Eucalyptus scent. They dilute it at about 1 oz/gallon and soak the wetsuits in it after each rental, then hang to drip dry. We've had some tell us that if they don't use it the entire shop smells like urine funk from the wetsuits. At that concentration you won't get any real disinfecting action, but you probably don't need it anyway. You can buy the gallon concentrate at Home Depot or Sam's Club all over the US and Mexico. A gallon of concentrate goes for about $10. Works great as a surface cleaner inside the boat and on mildew smell too.

The guys are right, any cleaner can affect the water repelency but what have you got to lose? The spray on repellents are never as effective as the original, but they aren't bad.

Fair disclosure, I work as an R&D chemist for the company, but OdoBan really is perfect for that sort of thing. I use it for all kinds of stuff around the house.

 

[socal c25]

the smell is probably the plastic vinyl degrading, I have a West Marine foul weather jacket that is over 20 years old (19 years in a closet in the garage), now that I am sailing again I pulled it out and it was smelly. I washed it by hand in Dawn dish soap then washed it as per instructions and now it still stinks BUT not as bad. If I did this process a few times MAYBE the smell would be gone.

 

[hellosailor]

I'd strongly suggest reading the care instructions and if they are gone, ask Timberland. Random chemicals, harsh cleaners, strong detergent or even hot water can permanently ruin some waterproofing fabrics.

Find out what you can or cannot safely use, then try to figure out what the stink is. Urine? Mold and mildew? Decaying plastics? Different approach to each. And Timberland may have something to say, in terms of warranty.

If the material can take it, and the stink is from something that got into the clothes? I'd suggest a good soak in a front-loading washing machine, with a premium detergent and Oxy-Clean (which is a non-chlorine bleach that works on many things). If the stink is simply from diesel fuel, just put the clothes on a clothesline out in full sunlight for a couple of weeks after a good washing. Very little gets out diesel stink if it gets into the wrong kind of materials.

 

[eherlihy]

I find that OdoBan smells like a veterinarian's office...

I have used PureAyre Marine to combat odors. It supposedly has enzymes in it to help neutralize odor;

Regarding the waterproofing, if the gear is made from a woven cloth, I recommend 303 Products High Tech Fabric Guard;

 

[eherlihy]

It would appear that 303 Products has changed the labeling from the above to this;

 

[miatapaul]

I find that OdoBan smells like a veterinarian's office...

I have used PureAyre Marine to combat odors. It supposedly has enzymes in it to help neutralize odor;

Regarding the waterproofing, if the gear is made from a woven cloth, I recommend 303 Products High Tech Fabric Guard;

Both excellent products, not cheap but worth the premium. If it is the product breaking down then there is likely nothing that can be done. Pureayre belongs on any boat anyway so I suggest trying it.

What is the smell like? If it is mold then I suggest soaking in Borax, if it vinyl type smell it might be past saving. If it is sweat or decomposing type stuff try pureayre. Check the labels, as if it is Gortex it has a lifetime warranty and you may get it replaced under that. Timberland used to make some pretty good stuff so it may be worth putting some effort into it.

 

[SailRedemption]

I bought a bottle of this deodorizer from Masseys for my vibrams shoes, it uses enzymes to eat the bacteria and whatever else causing the odors. You only need a cap full for a gallon or two.. Check into that.

- Ronnie...on the geaux

 

[14432]

another good option for FWG, dive suits, marine upholstry or any surface or fabric where mold/mildew and the associated odors is Obex

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good stuff - there are a couple of products - originally developed for medical applications