I just bought a used cell phone which, unfortunately, is saturated with the stink of cigarette smoke! How do I get rid of that nasty smell?
How to Get Rid of Things: Forum » Smells & Odors
Smelly Cell Phone
(16 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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I don't believe I've ever heard of a smelly cellphone problem. I'm not quite sure I can answer that question for you. Has anyone else had problems with a cigarette smell on a cellphone? How did you get rid of that cigarette smell? (Or any other smell on a cellphone for that matter.)
Anyone?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Seriously! I just bought a used cell phone off e-bay and the cigarette smoke smell on it is terrible. I cannot figure out how to get rid of it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Alright, just off the top of my head, I would say you should try cleaning your cell phone with rubbing alcohol. The process is fairly simple. Take your cell phone apart, remove the battery and any other parts (like the SIM card) that might be damaged by any solvents. Then you can continue the cleaning process using a Q-tip and 70%+ isopropyl alcohol.
Will this get rid of the smoke smell? I have no clue, but your cell phone will be cleaner, that's for sure.
Does anyone have a better idea? Post a reply.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm just adding to the list; if you find out an answer. I did the same thing; bought a nice used cell phone on e-bay and wow, it stinks like smoke. I didn't even think of checking for that (smoke-free home)before bidding on it. I tried the alcohol; cleaned it up a bit, but still stinks. Darn smokers. :)
Posted 2 years ago # -
If the rubbing alcohol didn't work, I'm guessing the plastic the phone is made of is porous enough that the smoke smell has actually permeated through it, rather than just being on the surface. And honestly, I can't think of a way to get an odor out of plastic other than maybe soaking it in an odor neutralizer in the hope that the smell would leach out. But since soaking your cell phone in anything is obviously a bad idea, my best suggestion would be to wipe it down (using the same method samoya22 described for the rubbing alcohol) with something like Febreze or Fresh Wave (which has an all-natural formula for absorbing odors). Maybe with repeated applications, the odor will eventually lessen. Good luck!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Howdy!
I bought baby clothes on Ebay that was drenched with the stench of ciggys...I complained to the seller, she advised soaking items in vinegar...it works!!!! But you can't do that to a cell phone, unless you have the ol retro brick, (my hubby washed 6 cel phones last year, I convinced him to get an oldie like mine the original sprint non flip phone, it made it thru was and dryer and STILL works...)
How bout douse a few cotton balls or perhaps a sponge w vinegar, and place in one gallon zip lock bag or tupperware, leaving a little gap for air and see if the vinegar removes the smell. or maybe even activated characoal, that removes odors... baking soda?? Good luck and let us know...
Even if you put phone outside on sunny and cut the grass. See what that might do.
Obrigado,
Kelley
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just and FYI the 70% Isopropyl Alcohol contains Benzene which is harmful to plastics and rubbers. Try the 90 or 100 percent "pure" stuff. It may be better at getting out the smell. I would personally try taking the plastics and washing or soaking them in good 'ol dish detergent. If the smell is still in the electronics you may be out of luck.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I recently bought a phone that REEKED of smoke. I hadn't even thought to ask if it had come from a non-smoking household and was planning to resell the phone if I couldn't get rid of the smell because it was so strong. First I tried some mild household disinfectant and it didn't really do much. Second I tried taking it apart and wiping a cotton ball soaked with vanilla essence all over the phone, before drying it with a tissue and still it only seemed to mask the odor. Next I sealed the phone in a plastic container with a little container of vanilla essence inside. I left it for two days AND STILL I could smell smoke mixed with the smell of vanilla...FINALLY in a state of desperation I covered the entire phone in Purell instant hand sanitizer, an antiseptic hand santizer that dissoves and kills germs on hands without water. Suprizingly this was the answer! It has been 5 days and the smell of smoke shows no signs of reappearing.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Yay! An answer. Mule Team 2000 Borax is an 'odor' remover for many things; directions on back, sides and bottom of the box. Amonia is also a good odor eater, but I would test it on a cell phone in a small spot to see if eats through the plastic. See other uses for amonia in a forum I will place when done here. Eucalyptist--geta, spelling? is also a smoke eater. I, uh, had only ONE vice ever in my life, hee-hee, I smoked very heavily. But every non smoker was suprized that my home smelled gooooood. I smoked IN my home and even allowed others to smoke inside as well. Now I use the Federal law: if posted no smoking, that doesn't mean just inside, but no smoking within 50 feet from the building! I washed my walls, cutains drapes, ceilings, carpet and furniture 3-4 times a year. Being anul retentive helped, but I did put Eucalyptist in vases, as well as made my own potpouri---
OH, YA MY POINT
Maybe some eucalyptist oil, that is sold for pouring into the tub to get rid of colds, poured into tera cotta poms, or used on lite bulb rings, could be wiped on after a test spot. Of course, if you don't wipe it off with some kind of wet wash cloth, you'll CHOKE TO DEATH on the strong smell, but then, you wont care!
I spray my portable phone (landline) with windex, then wipe it clean (amonia and...). If some one yucky uses my phone and when I worked, if someone I didn't know used my phone, I poured isopropyl alchol (no drinky-G) on a paper towel and it never gave the plastic a boo-boo. But that is a different type of phone and I don't wanna pay for the phones for everyone who reads this, so please test, test and test!!! I hate the smell of stale cigarettes!Posted 1 year ago # -
Get a new cell phone. Or update your current contract..why would you buy a used cell phone on ebay? Dealing in Meth?
Posted 1 year ago # -
We are not all as wealthy as you, O Master Of Bag-O-Snakes---which dont sell hee hee hee
Posted 1 year ago # -
I bought a phone on craigslist. I love the phone but noticed later that it reeks of cigerette smoke but I only smell it when I use the phone. It's a samsung a900
Posted 1 year ago # -
didja see the lysol commercial that shows the phones being sprayed with the new germ and odor lysol? mite work if you dont saturate the phone holes.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I actually put it in a zip lock baggie with a cotton ball with eucalyptus essential oil on it. I left it in the baggie all night (the phone didn't come in contact with the oil on the cotton ball) So far,so good...the phone doesn't reek like smoke anymore. If the smell comes back I'll just do it again.
Posted 1 year ago # -
This seems to be the top search result for stinky cell phone, so here is what I did.
I bought a used phone on craigslist and found that it reeeeeks of smoke. I put the phone in a plastic zip lock back with a dryer sheet and now it just smells fresh. I think it will take a few days to lessen the dryer sheet smell, but it helped.
Posted 1 year ago #
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