Eliminating the contact adhesive smell from campervan ?

Submitted: Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 18:26
ThreadID: 132270 Views:7939 Replies:14 FollowUps:11
This Thread has been Archived
G'day All
Yesterday I covered some drawers etc with marine carpet in a campervan I own using contact adhesive. Today I finished off a few bits and pieces with more carpet and contact adhesive. It still stinks from yesterdays work and with a bit more today it will obviously still stink tomorrow !
I can't leave the doors or windows open as the van has to live outside in the open.
Any suggestions to remove the odour as I will need to sleep in the van tomorrow night ?
Cheers
Gazz
Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: TomH - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 18:45

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 18:45
Only time and airing will do it.
AnswerID: 599331

Reply By: Member - Keith C (NSW) - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 19:30

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 19:30
Gazz, the smell will probably disappear when the contact cures, if you didn't let dry before placement it may take longer
AnswerID: 599333

Reply By: Member - Outback Gazz - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 20:03

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 20:03
Thanks Tom and Keith

I remembered how lighting a match in a toilet immediately gets rid of - let's say bad odours - so I have one of the wife's scented candles burning in there now.

YES - I have taken all precautions an monitoring it regularly and will remove it in an hour or so.

I wasn't very good at chemistry in school but with all the doors and windows shut in the van my theory is the candle should use up a lot of the oxygen in the air and hopefully rectify the problem - well that's my theory ????

If that doesn't work then I might have to spill some cab sav on the carpet and put up with that smell instead lol

Thanks guys


Cheers

Gazz
AnswerID: 599335

Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 20:25

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 20:25
It's not the oxygen that causes the smell. It's the volatiles from the glue.

Burning a candle MIGHT disguise the smell for a while, but the only real way is ventilation and time.
FrankP

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message
Moderator

0
FollowupID: 868561

Reply By: Bob R4 - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 21:02

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 21:02
2 or 3 shots of 12 years old single malt strained across your tongue just before retiring would I'm sure help to disguise the smell.
Just a thought.
Bob
AnswerID: 599337

Reply By: Ausdigga - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 21:51

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 21:51
You could just breath deeply and enjoy being transported back to the
60's, I can remember um some of it !
AnswerID: 599341

Reply By: uncle arthur - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 21:53

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 21:53
A friend of mine did not like the "new" smell in her brand new campervan so I suggested she place a bale of lucerne hay in the van as the hay would absorb the odours, but instead of just putting the bale of hay in as one bale she cut the strings and spread it out.
Got rid of the "new" smell and replaced it with a cow shed smell then spent the next six months picking up bits of hay.
Could be worth a try with the glue volatiles but first "read the instructions" on the hay bale.
AnswerID: 599342

Reply By: Ron N - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 22:04

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 22:04
Outback Gazz - Pumping hot air through the van is about the only way you'll be able to get rid of the smell.

Place a sizeable fan-driven electric heater in a window one end, and turn it up full bore.

Make sure you have windows cracked open the other end, so the volatile fumes can dissipate to the atmosphere.

Cheers, Ron.
AnswerID: 599344

Reply By: Member - Brian P (SA) - Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 22:05

Friday, Apr 29, 2016 at 22:05
Have you got an exhaust fan in your campervan ?
AnswerID: 599345

Reply By: Member - Outback Gazz - Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 08:14

Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 08:14
Thanks guys - I appreciate you replying and your tips and suggestions !

Luckily the sun is out where I live and I now have all the doors and windows open - not leaving til lunch time so hopefully most of the odour will be gone by the time I hit the mattress late this evening !

Bob R4 - whilst it may not be 12 yo single malt - I have already figured that having 3 or 4 more of my favorite beverage around the campfire tonight would also help with getting to sleep lol.

Ausdigga - was early 70's for me when I tried wacky backy - and unlike Mr Clinton I "DID" inhale - on numerous occassions actually ha ha ha

uncle arthur - you're onto something there - but a bit messy - had I realised the situation a bit earlier I would not have changed my work sox for 5 days and left them in the back - much lighter, less messy and would easily overpower the contact smell lol.

Ron - don't have a fan driven heater but that would do the trick without doubt !

Brian - I don't have an exhaust fan in my campervan - as it's a 1996 Mitsubishi Delica all I have in my van is rust, rattles and oil leaks ha ha


Thanks again everybody

All the best

Gazz


AnswerID: 599350

Follow Up By: Ron N - Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 09:44

Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 09:44
"don't have a fan driven heater but that would do the trick without doubt !"

Gazz, just "borrow" Mothers hair dryer, and leave it running full bore in the 'van!

When it burns out, just quietly replace it on her side of the dressing table - and when she complains about how it's stopped working - just come out with the old comment - "Ahh, they just build rubbish with household electrical stuff today! You'll just have to buy a new one!" [;-)

Cheers, Ron.
0
FollowupID: 868572

Follow Up By: Member - Outback Gazz - Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 09:58

Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 09:58
Good thinkin Ron !

I could get away with that - as she goes thru quite a few hair dryers.

Van's been in the sun for two hours now with everything open and seems to be doing the trick !

Where I'm going tonight I can't get my van near the campfire otherwise I would park it close and get that nice camp fire smell in the van for the next 3 days lol


Thanks

Gazz
0
FollowupID: 868573

Follow Up By: ian.g - Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 16:19

Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 16:19
Try a cup of vinegar, just leave it on top of the table and replace it every day, if no table just leave on floor or any place you can fit it with the camper closed up, will take a couple of days but will eventually asourb the smell. Change every day with fresh vinegar
0
FollowupID: 868590

Reply By: Neil & Pauline - Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 11:40

Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 11:40
A bowl of water gets rid of cigarette smell so maybe work of glue as well. Alternatively just stay in van and be high for a while.

Neil
AnswerID: 599358

Reply By: LAZYLUX16 - Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 14:23

Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 14:23
Nilodor small potent odour remover only need a couple of drops .I used it to remove dog and cat urine smells .And a drop in shoes does wonders if ya got smelly feet ha ha ha
AnswerID: 599367

Reply By: Ron N - Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 19:18

Saturday, Apr 30, 2016 at 19:18
Placing a big flat saucer or dished plate of full-cream milk in the room or cavity, is also one of the best smell-removers around.

Anyone of mature age knows exactly how well uncovered jugs of milk in the fridge pick up all the smells in the fridge.

My old man was a professional house painter and signwriter, and his standard technique for removing new paint smell from rooms, was setting out a big dish of full cream milk overnight. It worked without fail, and very promptly at that.

Cheers, Ron.
AnswerID: 599377

Follow Up By: ian.g - Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 12:25

Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 12:25
And the cat can clean it up afterwards
1
FollowupID: 868616

Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 14:25

Monday, May 02, 2016 at 14:25
Ron, I thought that was to get snakes to come out from under beds & cupboards? lol
Cheers
Allan

Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 868662

Follow Up By: Ron N - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 16:37

Monday, May 02, 2016 at 16:37
Allan - Ha ha! It's been a long time since I heard that old wives tale!

Never found a snake in a 'van yet! - but I've caught 134 mice in my old 30' Modern 'van in 1976, over a period of 3 weeks, when we had a mouse plague in the W.A. Goldfields! I could have used a few snakes in the 'van then! LOL

Cheers, Ron.
0
FollowupID: 868667

Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 17:24

Monday, May 02, 2016 at 17:24
.
Ah Ron, I have a story involving mice, smells and a snake......
Roz's 95yo uncle had a python in his garage that kept the mice under control. One day the python got caught-up in the roller door and died. The mouse population boomed and soon found a way into the aircon ducts of said uncle's car. Unc tried many unsuccessful ways to get rid of the mice until he hit on a hose from the exhaust which did the trick.
Problem now was the stink of dead mice in the car!! Cost him a motza and some strong words from the mechanic that had to dismantle the a/c ducting.
Absolutely true story. I was there.... upwind!
Cheers
Allan

Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

3
FollowupID: 868673

Reply By: member - mazcan - Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 12:46

Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 12:46
hi
a bowl of Carb soda will also absorb odours in a fridge and other areas
cheers
AnswerID: 599398

Reply By: Hoyks - Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 15:23

Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 15:23
The smell is probably just Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) and Acetone that are the solvents in the contact adhesive.
One of the dangers of MEK is that the more you are exposed to it, the less you can smell it. That is a real danger in the industrial setting, but for you it might be a bonus.

But, yes, ventilation is the only real answer. Anything else will just be trying to mask it and never really be successful.
AnswerID: 599403

Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 14:26

Monday, May 02, 2016 at 14:26
The more you are exposed to MEK the less you smell ANYTHING!
Cheers
Allan

Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 868663

Follow Up By: Ron N - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 16:43

Monday, May 02, 2016 at 16:43
I reckon a few lungfuls of MEK would probably keep you going for 3 days without sleep! LOL

I dunno how those old fibreglass factory blokes coped with the smell, they must have had all their olfactory senses totally destroyed - and probably a few brain cells, as well, too!

Seems like you don't smell MEK as much as you used to around factories, they must have reduced the solvent levels, or they now control it a lot better.

There's some pretty potent solvents around, I'm surprised how the manufacturers still produce a lot of this stuff.

Cheers, Ron.
0
FollowupID: 868668

Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 17:45

Monday, May 02, 2016 at 17:45
-
Ron, I used to work in industries producing chlorinated hydrocarbons and other nasties. Ethylene Dichloride was a doozy. The spills were often on the ground and always the vapours were in the atmosphere. You wouldn't believe the corrosive properties and flammability of some of them to say nothing of the effects on the respiratory and nervous system.
Not good stuff,.....not good at all.
Probably accounts for some of my behaviour today. lol
I would like to think that they do control it better today.
Cheers
Allan

Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 868675

Sponsored Links