Billingham bag - Musty smell.

[Haswell]

Hello everyone.  I bought a Bellingham bag off eBay. Not sure of model; its not on website nnow, so I guess it's a "Vintage". I'm unsure as to how it was previously stored but it came with a very strong musty smell.  I have aired it, Febrezed it and let it lie indoeers with all the zips open. There is a small smell of mustiness still. I would welcome your comments on how to cure the smell once and for all. Its a beautiful bag and still want to use it as long as it doesn't affect my equipment (Xpro2 and lens')

[milandro]

unfortunately this is probably the reason that the seller got rid of the bag in the first place and you would have been better served by taking full advantage of the ebay guarantee and sending it back. Since you seem to have it treated already with febreze I can only suppose that the terms of the guarantee have expired by now.

 

Because of my other interest, saxophones, I am very familiar with the musty smell of old cases. Febreze is ineffective most of the times and at very best changes the musty smell into the febreze smell. I am not sure which is worse .

 

Notoriously the musty smell is near impossible to get rid of.

 

Anyway, the ultraviolets in the sunlight seem to be working better than anything, so exposing the bag (inside out too) to abundant sunlight might do the trick. Some people make use of baking powder ( sodium bicarbonate) which supposedly would absorb the smell but I really don’t see how to treat a bag, especially not one which will then contain a  camera (even if you hoover it some crystals might stay behind in the bag and come back to haunt you later on). 

 

Carpet foam cleaners are not bad too but often do the same as febreze and simply cover one unpleasant smell with another.

 

Anyway, the musty smell comes from mold , ask yourself if you want to risk to keep your photographic equipment in a place which could transfer mold from the cloth to a lens. Personally, I wouldn’t risk it.

[Mike G]

Put it through your washing machine!, take off all removable parts, I put my old Hadley through the washing machine a couple of times with no problems.

 

Just one more reason never to buy from E Bay! Hope it didn't cost you a lot?

 

By the way I presume you mean Billingham?

 

You could try asking them for advice, what model is it ?

Edited September 22, 2016 by Mike G

[Haswell]

Thanks for the info. I cannot determine what type it is; its not online and it appears to be older than the recent Hadley range. I cannot see any mould at all; just the musty smell.  It wasnt a deal bbreaker and I have eliminated most of it with airing it outside in sunny weather. its just the residual smell I'm trying to get rid of.

[milandro]

Mold is not necessarily visible and often clothes which somehow have got wet and were kept in a warm but damp place, smell moldy, even if there is no mold (not mould by the way) to be seen. The smell in itself is the proof of the persistence of the fungus hyphae, even if invisible.

 

The same fungus which might colonize your lenses too. I personally wouldn’t take the risk. But maybe all your lenses are WR and they would be rather more impervious to fungus.

 

Good luck.

[Mike G]

Haswell the Hadley bags have been around for at least 30 years + , as always my friend a photo is better than a thousand words. 

[Aswald]

Even though I wouldn't recommend washing leather but since you may not be able to use it anyway, I'd say wash it, dry it out in the sun and use it for something else. Hopefully something not valuable or sensitive to mold. Adding natural rice vinegar will help to a great extent, especially with the smell and is safe on most fabric and leather.

 

On leather and natural fiber fabric, once infected and colonized, mold is impossible to get rid of. The moment the environment is suitable, it will grow again.

[dt1000]

I can't help with the smell, but the model is usually printed on a small white label sewn into one of the internal seams. Sometimes difficult to find and also tricky to read since the print does fade.

If all else fails; just use it, they are lovely bags.

 

Dave.

[darknj]

Do a mix of 2 part of bicarbonate of sodium and 1 part of per-carbonate of sodium mix in warm water and soak the whole bag in for a least a night. Use table spoon for measures, it will be sufficient enough.

 

After drying if it still smell still persist, do the same mix in the wash machine, let it run normally for colored textile, that should do the trick.

 

At least that's how I get rid of my pets urine on their blankets, it still has to fail me.

[milandro]

Mold is an infection and it comes back because fungus, yeasts and things like these are the toughest organisms on earth, able to stay dormant when things are dad and to come back as soon as conditions allow it.

[Tom H.]

Mold is an infection and it comes back because fungus, yeasts and things like these are the toughest organisms on earth, able to stay dormant when things are dad and to come back as soon as conditions allow it.

 

Yes, definitely pass. Mold is something you just can't get rid off, no matter how often and how well you wash it, it will be back.

[Aswald]

Agree with both Milandro and Tom H. Also from experience.

[Haswell]

Thanks for all your help Gentlemen. I persevered with the problem for a short while and then decided enough was enough. I have sent the bag back to the seller (via eBay) for a refund. I bought the Billingham 550 for a giveaway price and it smells as sweet as a nut.  It now holds 2 x bodies, 3 lens', x 2flashguns and assorted paraphernalia.  Your advice has been very helpful.

[jlmphotos]

Have you thrown some Silica Gel (available on Amazon), close the bag, and leave it like that for a few days?

That will take the moisture out

[Aswald]

Thanks for all your help Gentlemen. I persevered with the problem for a short while and then decided enough was enough. I have sent the bag back to the seller (via eBay) for a refund. I bought the Billingham 550 for a giveaway price and it smells as sweet as a nut.  It now holds 2 x bodies, 3 lens', x 2flashguns and assorted paraphernalia.  Your advice has been very helpful.

 

That's great! Enjoy yr new bag. Always one of my favorite!

[Tom H.]

Have you thrown some Silica Gel (available on Amazon), close the bag, and leave it like that for a few days?

That will take the moisture out

Moisture yes, fungus no. And fungus is not something you want anywhere near camera equipment...