Stinky side cases

Joined
May 17, 2018
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13
Location
Enid, Oklahoma
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2008 Honda ST1300A
I've tried airing them out, cleaning with Lysol wipes. Neither has worked. Any tips?

thanks
mattc
 

ST Gui

240Robert
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You could also try baking soda in an open dish.

I've also had success with Lysol spray. But in truth the odor was from transporting great pizza. So if it stayed I wouldn't have minded all that much. :lol:
 
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Cleveland
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What is the smell? From something you carried (like an angry skunk)? Leaking food like rancid salad oil? Or the plastic smell of deteriorating plastic or glue? Your bike is not old enough for the side cases to off gas so I would think it was something you carried - old underwear, a moldy wet rain suit, or the like.

For organic things like a moldy smell, wash it with a 10% bleach solution (this is used for black molds in houses), for an oily (salad dressing, olive oil (next time don't transport Bob's pizza for him, let him get it himself) you might try an evaporating solvent (test it out on the inside of the case to make sure it is not plastic reactive). Electrical contact cleaner is perc, isn't it? Nasty stuff but very effective at cutting greases and oils. If you go this route, spray the stuff inside the case outdoors, wipe it down and let it air out (wear gloves). Benzyl Mercaptan (essence of skunk)? You are on your own - this is VERY nasty stuff with a very very high vapor pressure. Fifty years ago we broke a bottle of it in the dorm and the smell was obvious a year later. But that is another story....
 
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I use Bounce sheets in smelly spaces. No residue of any sort. 'Fragrance' is strong and long lasting. Cures gym bags, luggage and helmets. Why not saddlebags?
 
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finger lakes ny
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Interesting. I have a smelly one for the first time, this year. Actually made the garage smell a little, which was how I noticed it. Attributing it to the very hot weather possibly interacting with the silicone I had lightly applied to the gaskets? Only one side smelled though. Wasn't something I carried. I just SimpleGreened and aired em.
 
OP
OP
Joined
May 17, 2018
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Enid, Oklahoma
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2008 Honda ST1300A
I didn't want to tattle on previous owner, but he must've carried his gym clothes or dirty diapers in the right saddle bag. It smells horrible, not gonna try and describe the nastiness. But it stinks, and having trouble removing the stink.

mattc
 
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Cleveland
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There is a treatment for stinky cat litter boxes. The stuff kills odors - it destroys them. You can probably ask for it at a pet store.
 

treemuncher

Vegetation Terrorist
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West TN
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Not "used" coffee grounds but use fresh coffee grounds. Spread well throughout the box and close it for a week. Vacuum out the coffee and the smells should be gone.

We purchased a used truck from Penske leasing and they told us that coffee was there secret to being able to resell a lease box truck that had been used for years to haul seafood. When the trucks came in, the fish odor was unbearable. Toss in a couple pounds of fresh coffee grounds, seal the truck up for a week and remove the coffee. Smells are gone.

I moved into a mobile home that previously had a chain smoker living there. 3 cans of coffee grounds and a few weeks of setting throughout the carpets, after vacuuming up the grounds, 90% of the cigarette smoke smell was gone.
 
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And that is????
Oops! I'm sorry, I remember reading about this stuff, but a quick google search, including testing and ranking of the odor eliminators showed it appears to be a dead end. What I remember was what I said above, you sprayed the stuff in the air and/or around the litter box and it killed the odors. The hype was convincing and the ad pretty thorough in its description.

However, the google hits for "pet odor eliminator" focus on pet urine/stains in localized areas and you spray them on. For cats, they seem to be ammonia oriented and how to get rid of that smell. None were now claiming what I remember reading, tho several said their ingredients included enzymes (another buzz word for cleaners). Further, more than a couple of sites stressed using something that would not leave a residue that might be poisonous to your pet if it licked that spot - this means all were meant to kill odors in a localized area by applying a liquid and/or scrubbing the spot ("Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" (sorry Shakespeare, I'm referring to pet stains, not murder)). While I doubt that your pets will be licking inside your side cases, scrubbing them down with various cleaners might do the job. I'd start with relatively benign ones (Simple Green) and progress to Citrus based cleaners, and finally end up with electric contact cleaner/perc or even brakleen (sp?) assuming these were plastic safe. Acetone probably is not plastic safe but you might try a dab to verify this. If the plastic has absorbed something that smells and its organic (human waste?) you might have a bit of a problem. The PO might have had something smelly in the case, parked the bike in the sun and let said odors bake into the plastic.

I remember once reading that if you fill stinky plastic containers with water overnight, the water absorbs the smells and the utensil can be made useful again. Something as simple as this might work. (Though I have to admit, I like treemuncher's coffee ground solution. One would assume said grounds get thrown away after this specific use:rofl1:).

As a last resort, you might replace the case with one found on ebay, used, from a bike that crashed on its other side and was totaled.
 
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Grand Rapids, Mn
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I've had good success with the scented dryer sheets. Also keeps the rodents away quite well. Easy and no cleanup afterwards, as I assume the saddlebag has been washed (repeatedly) already.
 

Whooshka

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I once read that for your typical soda/beer coolers that get funky to wipe the inside down with vanilla extract, let dry and rinse. I've done this and it worked.
 

ST Gui

240Robert
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cdnemsguy said:
line the cases with glued in automotive trunk liner
That looks really nice! What adhesive did you use and how well has it held up. Nice job!
 
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That looks really nice! What adhesive did you use and how well has it held up. Nice job!
Thanks! My buddy owns an upholstery shop and brings in this material for trunk liners, all colors as well. It is very inexpensive and stretches in many strange ways to hold to this shape. It is glued in with his normal upholstery glue they is sprayed in. It's not that hard to do really. As far as holding up? Great! No signs of wear yet as this is made to be on a truck floor. I put the same in my top box and it has help up from continuous use for a year so far.
 

ToddC

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Thanks! My buddy owns an upholstery shop and brings in this material for trunk liners, all colors as well. It is very inexpensive and stretches in many strange ways to hold to this shape. It is glued in with his normal upholstery glue they is sprayed in. It's not that hard to do really. As far as holding up? Great! No signs of wear yet as this is made to be on a truck floor. I put the same in my top box and it has help up from continuous use for a year so far.
Does it work as hair replacement too Tim...??? That glare at NEWSTOC was beginning to become a safety concern.....:rofl1::nanner1::hat1:
 
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