Restoring Facebook finds- they STINK

Draco

Queen of Deflocks
MLPTP Supporter
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Jun 4, 2022
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I found a good deal on ponies ($25 for all). and she did not disclose they came from a cigarette/drug smoking household. Holy heck, when I opened the bag my eyes teared up and I nearly gagged.

What's the best way to remove heavy odors of cigarettes and drugs?

I feel like they all might be full of mold because of the cigarette smoke. Mirror Mirror took the worst of the damage; I don't even know what she has- pindot mold? Doesn't quite look like cancer. I really want to save her but I know oxyclean soak will destroy her symbol. Any ideas how I can help her without destroying her symbol?

SS Buttons, Im worried about her flocking. It appears to be all intact, I don't want to ruin it by scrubbing too much, but again, the stink!

And who's the doggy? ** EDIT** found him. Hasbro Sweetie Pup- Shih Tzu

See photos (oh, she threw in a framed puzzle too, nice surprise to come to!)

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Try looking this over and mlppreservationproject

 
Thanks for the link to that thread! It's helpful, I will try those things as well.

Really sad to find them stinky, but I hope I can at least get rid of majority of the smell where it won't stink up my apartment.

Unfortunately I don't have much of outdoor space (apartment) and I don't feel comfortable leaving them outside for weeks- my neighbors could take them
 
Thanks for the link to that thread! It's helpful, I will try those things as well.

Really sad to find them stinky, but I hope I can at least get rid of majority of the smell where it won't stink up my apartment.

Unfortunately I don't have much of outdoor space (apartment) and I don't feel comfortable leaving them outside for weeks- my neighbors could take them
Smoke smells are rough and take time to get out.
 
Smoke smells are rough and take time to get out.
Evidently so :( if I had known it came from a smoker's home, I probably would not have bought them.

but that seapony called to me, lol

I popped the head off Mirror Mirror. She def has gunk inside, doens't look like mold but tabacco. I don't think I can salvage her symbol. I guess she'll become bait
 
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Evidently so :( if I had known it came from a smoker's home, I probably would not have bought them.

but that seapony called to me, lol
I think it’s an ongoing argument as to ’why don’t they disclose the smell’. They should, but people that live in the smell or smoke tend to become desensitized or lose their sense of smell… I think every collector has run into the smell issue at some point. Time, patience, and luck. You’ve got this. ;)
 
Oof, stinky ponies are the wooorrrst. Start with a good bath in dawn dish soap and work your way from there. It might be possible to paint tape off Mirror Mirrors symbol for an oxiclean soak? But take that with a grain of salt since I never encountered one. Much less have to destink one lol.

I'm not sure about the SS. Most of the recommendations are lible to ruin the flocking. You may have to deflock her in the end. :(

Sun can do wonders for getting rid of smells. I currently live in an apartment too so I just picked the sunniest spot I had and rotated the ponies every few days for a month or so until the smell was gone. Mine were not terribly smelly to begin with tho.

The framed puzzle??? Idk. You might be able to throw it in a sealed bag with baking soda to soak up the smell. You could probably use a vinegar solution on the wood part of the frame but any cardboard backing is going to have soaked up smoke smells something terrible. If you aren't adverse to getting rid of the frame you could probably use a very very mild vinegar solution and a damp cloth on the picture side of puzzle peices. Then flip them over and let the exposed cardboard side bake in the sun for awhile.
 
thanks for the advance!

I scrubbed with dish detergent, inside and out (I couldnt take the TE's or BBE's heads off, hope they are OK inside).
Then I soaked all but the SS and Magic in Oxyclean with a bit of vinegar.

It would be a shame if I can't save Button's flocking. It's all in tact, save for some yellowing from the cigarettes. I dipped her in diluted bleach (I know, I know) to try to whiten her up.

they are all outside now drying up. Once dried I'll try the bin with dryer sheets and baking soda to try to absorb more odors.

As for the puzzle, it isn't smelly. She pulled it out from the garage, so I assume it wasn't inside. But I think I will change the frame anyway, either that or paint it. It's quite dated lol
 
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thanks for the advance!

I scrubbed with dish detergent, inside and out (I couldnt take the TE's or BBE's heads off, hope they are OK inside).
Then I soaked all but the SS and Magic in Oxyclean with a bit of vinegar.

It would be a shame if I can't save Button's flocking. It's all in tact, save for some yellowing from the cigarettes. I dipped her in diluted bleach (I know, I know) to try to whiten her up.

they are all outside now drying up. Once dried I'll try the bin with dryer sheets and baking soda to try to absorb more odors.

As for the puzzle, it isn't smelly. She pulled it out from the garage, so I assume it wasn't inside. But I think I will change the frame anyway, either that or paint it. It's quite dated lol
Let us know how it turns out!
 
After a night in the loosely sealed bin (since some ponies were still damp), they smell much better . I can smell it a bit when I put my nose to it but much more tolerable at least! I found some damp-rid with activated charcoals in my closet that I put into the bin as well for extra measure.

I managed to get most of the spots of Mirror Mirror but she has some that I can't scrub off. Debating on a peroxide soak for her, gotta figure out if I can put her in without getting touching her symbols. I want to do the same with BBE Lofty, she has spots too. they don't quite look like cancer spots, not sure if they're nicotine stains or rust/mold.

Surprisingly SS Buttons came out really nice- a bit of dry and frizzy hair which I'll condition again with straightening iron after some time in the bin. She smells the least. I thought she'd be bad with her flocking holding the odor or she'd be too yellowed from nicotine, she cleaned up nice and I am happy with her.

I'll post photos later. Coffee first.
 
After a night in the loosely sealed bin (since some ponies were still damp), they smell much better . I can smell it a bit when I put my nose to it but much more tolerable at least! I found some damp-rid with activated charcoals in my closet that I put into the bin as well for extra measure.

I managed to get most of the spots of Mirror Mirror but she has some that I can't scrub off. Debating on a peroxide soak for her, gotta figure out if I can put her in without getting touching her symbols. I want to do the same with BBE Lofty, she has spots too. they don't quite look like cancer spots, not sure if they're nicotine stains or rust/mold.

Surprisingly SS Buttons came out really nice- a bit of dry and frizzy hair which I'll condition again with straightening iron after some time in the bin. She smells the least. I thought she'd be bad with her flocking holding the odor or she'd be too yellowed from nicotine, she cleaned up nice and I am happy with her.

I'll post photos later. Coffee first.
That is great news about buttons!
 
@Lilykin I purchased the 40 volume cream at Sally's Beauty earlier. I applied and set on my window still. Even after 5 hours in the sun the spots faded a bit already. Nice :) I fashioned a foil-lined box and placed my fish tank UV Light bulb over it, and stuck the ponies in there (After protecting hair and symbols). See if that helps.

@MustBeJewel Thanks for the guide on removing odor! I think I will purchase the de-stink, I am sure it'll come in handy again. Looks like I am trying everything that you suggested, and I don't want to mask the odors- seems like that's what I am basically doing now. Ugh. I am glad the odor has been reduced as it is, but not quite gone.
 
so happy to hear that the stuff you're trying is achieving some results! good luck with continuing to get these ponies back in shape :) I would love to see how everybody turns out once they're clean (or as clean as can be)!
 
I've fashioned a reflective light box, and used my fish tank's bulb that's over 400nm. It's doing the trick nicely. Spots are fading with the volume 40 creame, BBE Lofty came out nice and white! (of course I covered hair, symbols and eyes of all in there). And it's really helping with the smell too, I hardly smell it unless I take a deep whiff. The pink highlighter spot on my sea pony decreased about 50%, she'll be in there a while longer, but I am glad the box is working for both smell and spots.

Being in the box for 24 hours, the white fur of my Shih Tzu is pristine, no longer yellow in areas. I wish I took a before photo to show how yellowed she was, but I forgot.

I'm debating the SS Buttons in to fade, she does have faint splotches of yellow but it's really not terrible, I'm just afraid the heat might ruin her flocking.

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