Funky Smell From Pack
 

The other day I got nailed by a small rain storm on the way home from work. I thought I dried everything out but my pack has that funky smell to it now. Is there anything to get rid of that odor?

Baking soda? Are they washable?

funky = mildew?

I use ozone for things like that. Home made ozone maker, in a cardboard box, with an aquarium pump and an airstone.

I can pump ozone into a trash bag for 24 hours, or I can pump ozone into a washing machine loaded with funky towels or clothes soaking in water.

Home made ozone maker = 12,000v neon sign transformer, 3 glass jars (nested), two cylinders of metal window screen inside one jar, with another jar between the screens, separated by one jar, with insulated wires soldered to the screen and connected to the transformer.

turn it on and it basicallly makes continuous lightning across the screen mesh.

if it arcs hot, you have to turn it off and move things around so the screens are equidistant and the wires don't arc. It will burn through the glass if left to arc!!



*** WARNING - High Voltage can Kill you! ****

http://www.instructables.com/community/OZONE-GENERATOR/

If the fabric can be washed or at least wiped with a wet sponge, try white vinegar or baking soda. But either is good for removing a mildew odor. You can even follow up one with the other -- usually vinegar first, then baking soda to neutralize the vinegar odor. Don't mix them -- it just makes foam and neutralizes both.

There are also commercially made sprays and liquids that do the same thing. But vinegar or baking soda work pretty well.

A mild solution of bleach works on really tough mildew odors, but is best reserved for towels, wash cloths, dish cloths, maybe some bed linens, that sort of thing. There are commercially made bleach sprays (Clorox and others) that are very convenient and sometimes work better than homemade preparations. In particular I like the Clorox foaming bleach spray for kitchens and bathrooms because it's easier to confine the spray to a specific place. Works on kitchen and bathroom brushes, sponges, etc., too. So far I haven't seen any bleach damage from using these on kitchen and bathroom cleaning cloths, but I'd use it only as a last resort on a backpack, satchel, etc., or clothing.

If in doubt, test it on a mildewy sponge or rag.

My 1973 Dodge Dart got this mildewy smell from leaving the windows open overnight and it rained, and I asked my Mom for advice. She said peel a couple potatos and put them under the seats.

Amazingly (to me, not to her), it worked.

I bought a car that had been owned by a heavy smoker. Mothballs under the seats took care of that odor. Sunlight might work too for your odor.

Umm, just wash it? Throw it into a cooler with some soap,bleach cleaner, whatever and wash it. Start there.

What bike bag has enough room for seats?

I regularly have to treat my backpack to keep the odor down. Currently I soak the straps in oxy-clean and spray the bag with isopropyl alcohol (the bag itself is waterproof and the straps removable). May try baking soda and vinegar now.