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New luggage smell


cindymouse42

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We just purchased new set of luggage (hard sided)for our upcoming cruise. The new luggage has a "new luggage smell". It is not a nice smell/odor and we wish to remove so all our belongings do not end up smelling like this. We have fabreezed it several times, but it still smells "funny" I thought if anyone knew how to get rid of this smell, it would the great people on these boards! Thanks for all advice/tips!

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I've read that if you take newspaper and ball the pages up and put them in the cases for a few days it will help. I'd also throw a few fabric softener sheets in them. We always store our cases with softener sheets in them.

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We bought new luggage last year the hard sided made from plastic or fiberglass...they do smell

We put them out in the sun for a a couple of days then I put one of the bags with volcanic stones in them ...it did help.

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/home/improvements/792922565-volcanic-odor-removal-bags-basement.html

 

I must get them out now and see if they have regained their smell

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I totally can relate to your problem! I bought new luggage for our first cruise and the plasticky smell inside them almost made me want to gag. I did a search on these boards and didn't get any matches. I googled it however and got some pretty good tips. I put a small bowl of baking soda in each bag for a week or two and then newspapers for a few days. I'm not sure which one did the trick but it smelled MUCH better. I'm very sensitive to strong smells and to me Febreeze is just too fragrant. Now I store my suitcases with newspaper to absorb smells and a fabric softener sheet to freshen them. Maybe the two cancel each other out! Good luck!

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Why not just throw a fabric softener sheet in the luggage, close it and let it sit a few days? We always keep a fabric softener sheet in our luggage when we put it away after a trip. Smells nice for the next time we use it.

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Why not just throw a fabric softener sheet in the luggage, close it and let it sit a few days? We always keep a fabric softener sheet in our luggage when we put it away after a trip. Smells nice for the next time we use it.

 

Some people are sensitive to fabric softener smells.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If it were me, I would take it back to the store and get a refund and then go buy soft sided bags. With the new rules for weight regulations, I would want my bags to be as light as possible. Just my two cents.

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I clean out the suitcase using any standard household cleaner, let the suitcase dry out and then place the dryer sheets inside. I'ts usually Downy or the Walmart brand, which has scents that I like. I remove them after a few days and let the suitcase air out. Leaving them in the suitcase gives all the clothes and the case a really strong scent.

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:) Last year before our cruise I purchased new luggage. We had the same issue with the smell. We used the Arm & Hammer Fresh Scent fabric freshener (like febreze) I thoroughly dowsed the insides once in the beginning & then twice a week after that. I kept the bags open for a month or so in a spare room. The first week or two there was little change in the smell and then after that it seemed to go away. Every time I walked in that room for something I gave the bags another couple of sprays. The best thing to do is keep the bags open.

If you have some time before you travel this would work but if you are leaving soon it's not for you.

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If it were me, I would take it back to the store and get a refund and then go buy soft sided bags. With the new rules for weight regulations, I would want my bags to be as light as possible. Just my two cents.

 

Interestingly, my hard side luggage is lighter than most canvas/soft sides, it's one of the reasons I bought it.

 

Tee

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I agree with putting the opened cases in the sun if you can. That will help. Baking soda may also help. I've also used a bowl of unused coffee grounds to remove odors of cigarette smoke from some items such as this. It might work. I store my suitcases with USED softener sheets. The smell is very mild that way.

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If you have a spare room in your house, open the luggage and leave it there for a couple of weeks. The odor will eventually dissapate (sp?). Leave the luggage open outdoors as much as possible. That will hasten the process.

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Not a fan of the febreeze smell either. We bought new luggage two years ago and I sprayed the inside with the lavender water that I use in my iron, Then left them open in the sun for a day. After I packed them with a few of the lavender laundry sachets ( Trader Joe's) I always pack with these, it makes clothes smell great and is not over powering.

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WOW.....now these are some great tips !!!!! Let me just add a word of caution about a problem I encountered last year. I had bought a new pair of slippers....you know the kind that are made of terry, open backed and open toe and had placed them in our guest room for a week or so prior to packing. No problem there. Then I packed them in a small suitcase with all my items for pre cruise use. When we got to our hotel and opened that suitcase......the smell was horrible......a very strong chemical smell coming from the slippers and permeating all the clothes. I threw the slippers in the trash and sent all the clothes to be cleaned by our hotel (at a huge price, might I add) but worth it since the smell was awful. So beware, about packing anything new, that is rubberized. Something about "the trip" brought out awful odors in the soles of those slippers. Yuk. :eek: gg

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Interestingly, my hard side luggage is lighter than most canvas/soft sides, it's one of the reasons I bought it.

 

Tee

 

 

The newer hard sided luggage is indeed lighter weight than much of the soft sided bags. I don't know what brand you purchased, but it's probably polycarbonate or a blend. We've never had a complaint about smell (I work part time in a luggage store), so I can't tell you what to do. If it were me, I'd probably leave the cases in the sunshine for a couple of days, perhaps some baking soda.

 

If the smell doesn't go away, it may never go away and your clothing will absorb the smell. I know several years ago we put away a piece of luggage that had gotten just a bit damp inside and I could never get the moldy smell out... the case went into the trash :(

 

I've often wondered what the appeal is of new car smell, to me it smells like fumes.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just bought a new set of soft sided (looks like canvas) luggage for a trip next month, and just as many of you have mentioned.....it has a strong chemical odor. Not quite sure if it is the canvas, or the "plastic" interior. Have tried newspapers shut up inside for a week, then have sprayed it liberaly inside and out with Febreeze.....left bowls of baking soda inside. Still smells. Am waiting on some sun to put the set outside. When I do, would you rec. crumpled newspapers inside.....closed or open ??? Any more ideas ???? gg

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You might try Ozium (or is it Oxium). This is what the cruise lines use to get rid of the smell of smoke in cabins and as a general deodorizer. It does get rid of all the smoke smell! I want to get some and have been told you'll find it in WalMart, Target, drug stores.

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You might try Ozium (or is it Oxium). This is what the cruise lines use to get rid of the smell of smoke in cabins and as a general deodorizer. It does get rid of all the smoke smell! I want to get some and have been told you'll find it in WalMart, Target, drug stores.

 

Thanks, Bonnie. I just say that product in Target, as I searched through all the Arm and Hammer products, Febreeze, etc. I will get some and spray the heck out of these new red suitcases. gg

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