Lingering Oder . . .

[Talk Story]

I have been on the hard for a couple of years and early on realized there was a crack in the exhaust hose that ran under the aft cabin mattress. The hose was replaced, the hull of the boat was painted and the cabin was put back together.

Years later, the oder lingers and permeats clothing, the mattress cover, etc.

Any thoughts on mitigating the oder? There is a few more things I can paint below the mattress.

[JPA Cate]

Well, first off, the fabrics will have absorbed the odor, so they need to be laundered. And, foam is notorious for soaking up odors, too, so I would take a seam ripper, and carefully unpick the stitches to remove the mattress's cover, set it to soak overnight, then wash it on the delicate cycle on the washing machine, and line dry it. The foam (if it is foam and not a box spring) can be washed in a bath tub by hand, then dried in a garage, after you squeeze out all the water you can. If it is hot enough, it will eventually dry, and when hung, some of the water keeps migrating to the bottom, so you can squeeze it out from time to time. It is a labor intensive project, and possibly replacement is a better deal. I have done what I describe, not for exhaust odors, but to remove salt following sea water intrusion. But all the fabrics will need to be laundered and pass the smell test before going back to the boat. If laundering doesn't work, then replace. And yes, you probably need to wash and re-paint what didn't already get done, but washing might be enough, and the washing ordeal should happen first, so you're sure you've created the best environment, and maybe you won't have to paint.

Good luck with it, the job's a pita.

Ann

PS. If the mattress cover shrinks, you can make up a zipper with extra piece widths, and still have it work. It will take a long zip, for the bottom and one side, with enough fabric added to make two new seams, and the zip will let you put it back on the now-clean foam.

[peghall]

I'm guessing that exhaust fumes permeated the mattress and everything around it before you found the cracked hose and replaced it.

I doubt that the mattress still salvageable, so remove it...scrub everything under and around it thoroughly with detergent and water, then after it's thoroughly dry, paint every hard surface under and around it. When the paint has completely dried (you don't want to replace the exhaust odor with paint odor), bring a new mattress aboard.

Mattress cover and all the other "soft goods" and clothing can be deodorized using a product called PureAyre PureAyre Buy a gallon of the "household" version (Amazon has it). Put everything in the washer (it may take more than one washer load depending the quantity of stuff you need to deodorize) in COLD water to which you'll add at least a quart of PureAyre...let soak at least overnight, then launder as you normally would.

I've used PureAyre for years to eliminate smoke, diesel, spoiled meat odor in fridges, bait box, and sewage spill odors. It works.



--Peggie

[Talk Story]

The mattress is new. Thanks for the input.

[Chotu]

Unfortunately, it’s probably just settled into all the unfinished wood that you can’t reach behind the woodwork/decorative stuff. .

Not what you wanted to hear. But I think that’s the case.

Just about the only thing you could attempt that may help would be to blast it with a really good ozone generator.

That’s all you can really do short of dismantling the entire interior.

PS: I assume you have painted all of the surfaces that you can with something like Killz and washed the others?

[NightSky46]

Biocide Systems Marine Shocker will eliminate the odor - in the fabric, carpet, overhead, bilge, heads - any organic or chemical odor. Did a Hatteras 60 footer that had tried ozone and put boxes of baking soda on every flat surface trying to get rid of an odor that had made the boat unusable. Used four Marine Shocker units: 1 in the engine compartment, each stateroom and the salon - activated them, closed off the boat overnight, came back in the morning odor gone. Works great when you close the boat up for the winter and come back in the spring to a sweet smelling interior.

[Kd9truck]

I bought a solid well equipped boat cheap because of an Oder. I deconstructed every inch and painted the wood after bleaching with an oil based semi gloss, everything got gel bleached. I did all the freash water, and salt, gray and black lines as well as the hot and cold. The waste lines hose smells also. Converted to all fresh water waste systems and line’s really helps.

But to second the fabric and foam, I replaced everything, I also go thru the vessel monthly to spray Lysol disinfectant in to holes that I drilled to sanitize voids. I Maybe excessive, my eyes, e and ears are going, my sense of smell is impeccable.

Good luck

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by NightSky46

Biocide Systems Marine Shocker will eliminate the odor...

That looks like an interesting option. I could see this becoming part of the annual lay-up routine. I wonder about the effect of Chlorine dioxide on things like rubber and aluminum.

Anyone else try it? Reviews on Amazon are mixed. Peggy?

[CSYChip]

Washing the wood with fabric softener and water worked for removing diesel odors after the tank leaked. That may work with exhaust. The person who suggested it to me insisted on Downy but I think I just used whatever was cheapest.