How to remove odor from items rescued from a hoarder's house?

I have some prior experience in this area. Several years ago, my uncle passed away, and my mother spent weeks trying to clean his house, which eventually was demolished as unsalvageable due to years of neglect. It was as bad as anything you've seen on the TV show. Several months prior to his passing, he had bought a new electric dryer, which had probably only been used a handful of times. Needing a dryer ourselves, my wife and I decided to rescue it. Although in good condition, it had cockroach carcasses inside and out, and I ended up disassembling it to the smallest components and cleaning each one thoroughly, replacing anything porous like the felt and rubber seals. Would have been much more cost effective to buy a new dryer, but at least now I know in intimate detail how a clothes dryer worked. After all that, the dryer still retained a hint of the stench of its original home for a few months.

So, recently, a 2nd cousin died, and he had only two living family members, one being my mother. He wasn't a hoarder per se, but he did live as a recluse for the last 15 years of his life, and his house is filled with the characteristic stench that I remember so well from my uncle's, though to a lesser degree. He apparently rarely entered the living room, which contained furniture from his mother's house, including a beautiful couch and two chairs and a loveseat which, though many years old (I'm thinking 1940s), are essentially completely unworn.

It would be such a shame for these beautiful antiques to be wasted, but considering the tenacity of odors for a non-porous item like a clothes dryer, I can't imagine how one would rid upholstered furniture of that foul, foul "hoarder's odor". Does anyone know of a protocol for returning visibly clean but befouled furniture to a usable state? The items are nice enough to easily justify spending $500 to make them fit to bring into a home.

Anyone had any similar experience with such issues? And is my desire to rescue items from such conditions a symptom of an inherited "hoarder's gene" which may be at work within me?

Sorry, I don't have experience in this area. I just wanted to commend you for your English skills, especially in correctly spelling "per se."

trash is trash. Let it go.

Arson [/thread]

Don't know if this method would work on anything as large as a couch but it wouldn't hurt to try. I've used charcoal on quilts and other bedding to remove a smokers stench from the fabric. You have to seal the item in plastic bags with charcoal in the bag but not touching the fabric. You could try using large plastic painters tarps (the disposable type) and duct tape to get the same effect. It works best if the plastic is a bit loose so the charcoal can draw all the stink from all parts of the fabric. I accomplished this by either tenting the item with some sticks or if there was a good seal on the bag, blowing air into the bag before sealing up the opening.

If you try this, make sure you use charcoal that doesn't have any additives like fuel starter.

Edit: Oh and you may need to use a lot of charcoal. Items that have a heavy odor often require changing out the charcoal after a few day then letting it sit with the fresh charcoal for another few days.

How about baking soda, airing out in the sun,or activated charcoal. I would call a rug/upholstery cleaning company for suggestions.

rent an ionizer...

Basically a machine that emits a buttload of electrical ions and eats the stinky air. Hotels use them to get the stench of smoke out of rooms people smoke in and charge the smoker 200 bucks for the service.

Odoban

http://www.odoban.com/


Trust me. Awesome stuff.

Quote from real_cheep : He apparently rarely entered the living room, which contained furniture from his mother's house, including a beautiful couch and two chairs and a loveseat which, though many years old (I'm thinking 1940s), are essentially completely unworn. It would be such a shame for these beautiful antiques to be wasted, but considering the tenacity of odors for a non-porous item like a clothes dryer, I can't imagine how one would rid upholstered furniture of that foul, foul "hoarder's odor". Does anyone know of a protocol for returning visibly clean but befouled furniture to a usable state? The items are nice enough to easily justify spending $500 to make them fit to bring into a home. Anyone had any similar experience with such issues? And is my desire to rescue items from such conditions a symptom of an inherited "hoarder's gene" which may be at work within me?

If the furniture is antique, and means that much to you - find a good upholster and have it reupholstered - and then you will be more than satisfied with the results and get rid of the "stench". The frames underneath of such pieces are what make them "valuable" and worth having this done. They simply do not make pieces like this today, as they did back then. They will replace all the cushions and/or type of material that was the type of cushion inside; making it like brand new again.

We are having a leather channel back chair reupholstered that is a minimum of 60 years old done right now - due to the family history - simply because it needed to be as a result of the seat cushion over the years crushing. Having it done in leather again, with the same channel back, and nail head trim, and having the wood handles touched up; is well worth the money spent. We would never find another chair like this, for the cost of what we are spending on it to have this done. Plus, the history to this in the family as well.

I also know a friend who has antique pieces, that she has had reupholstered, and they are magnificent; and it's all in the "bone structure of the piece" that made them worth while to reupholster.

Today's furniture for the most part is made of cheap plywood crap underneath, and not worth reupholstering - but when you have antiques - it's worth getting at least two quotes from two reputable Shops in your area. You want a Labor Charge Quote and a Fabric Charge Quote as to how many yards it would take to reupholster said piece. Then you know you have apples and apples with each quote. Depending on what type of fabric you then pick out - you know what your final cost is.

That is how I would approach this. Depending on the size of each piece, expect to spend far more than $500 to do what I am mentioning, even in fabric vs leather, as we did so. Labor alone was $475 for the Channel Back Chair. And we were quoted the same Labor Charge from two reputable firms in our local area.

If the smell has gotten into the cushion(s), it's highly doubtful that a person would be able to get that type of smell out on their own. Usually a Company that deals in Fire Restoration, or that type of thing - would need to do this.

Sell them all on ebay or craigslist. Then it's not your problem anymore.

Quote from bvlgarian : Sell them all on ebay or craigslist. Then it's not your problem anymore.

Apparently you have no consideration for "antique furniture" nor it's inherit value and what may be done with it - with a little TLC and cash - it can be turned into one magnificent piece once again.

I think OP is trying to salvage these "antique pieces" - not sell them

If you don't think the fabric would take too much of a beating, let it sit in the sun for a day or two, and spray it down with a vinegar solution while it's out there. It will never stink again. DW does the same thing with me quite often.

Quote from chewspam : If you don't think the fabric would take too much of a beating, let it sit in the sun for a day or two, and spray it down with a vinegar solution while it's out there. It will never stink again. DW does the same thing with me quite often.

Sure she doesn't use tomato juice on you, like one does if one gets "skunked"