Cleaning and deodorizing your camera bag

So... I didn't see anything on this with a brief search.

I recently purchased a bag from somebody on Facebook (Tamrac 5613). Great bag and I love it. However, the previous owner was obviously a heavy smoker. The smell of cigarettes is very heavy.

Any tips for getting the odor out? I thought about trying to seal it in a bag with baking soda. Anything that would work a little faster and not risk a huge mess? Thanks, for any ideas!

And, the next search brought up a thread here on POTN.... found my answer. Any additional input is still welcome, though.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=206300

I have a small nylon backpack that had a strong smoker smell to it after it was borrowed. I hand-washed it with mild soap and water first, then soaked it for awhile in vinegar & water. I had to do that a couple of times, but got the odor out.

I'm hesitant to do too much as the bag has a waterproof coating. I don't want to remove that, if at all possible. I wonder if the vinegar would harm it? What kind of vinegar did you use?

Febreze. It will probably give you a third eye, but it works.

I don't know if vinegar would harm the coating, unfortunately. It was diluted. My bag is an eagle creek, and as far as I know, it doesn't have a coating to worry about. I use vinegar as a fabric softener all the time for regular washings though.

Actually, I used Febreze in my car. I will never buy a car that smells like smoke again, and it took a good month or more to make it smell reasonable, but febreze helped. The car took a few shampoo sessions, an entire bottle of febreze, a couple of those car bomb things, and some charcoal under the seat!

Cleaning the backpack was much much easier, but I'm not sure if what I did would harm a coating. You'd have to ask Tamrac.

sawsedge wrote in post #18316299
Actually, I used Febreze in my car. I will never buy a car that smells like smoke again, and it took a good month or more to make it smell reasonable, but febreze helped. The car took a few shampoo sessions, an entire bottle of febreze, a couple of those car bomb things, and some charcoal under the seat!

Cleaning the backpack was much much easier, but I'm not sure if what I did would harm a coating. You'd have to ask Tamrac.

Tamrac says soft cloth dampened with a mild detergent and water. But, not to submerge it or put it in a dryer. I could go that route, but not confident it will get the smell out. Charcoal/Carbon might be a good idea. I use that for my aquarium and it comes in packets that won't make a mess. I could close some up on the inside of it and then put it in a bag with some more on the outside. I wonder how long it would take to absorb all the odor....

I know exactly what you mean about the car. I'm feeling the same about this bag. I'll add that to the list of questions I regularly ask when buying anything used.

Thanks for the input, guys. It's really appreciated!

Use a cleaner specifically designed for tents, backpacks and outdoor gear:

Granger's Performance Wash https://www.amazon.com …sw_r_cp_api_fB5​3yb989S641

Nikwax Tech Wash https://www.amazon.com …sw_r_cp_api_cI5​3ybFBX5100

Ozium is the original febreeze, works great.

Btw, "DWR" Durable Water Resistant coatings are spray on productes that you can get at outdoor stores. If you wash the bag you can probably respray it.

I just realized I never answered the question of what kind of vinegar. It is distilled white vinegar from the grocery store. I can't tell you the dilution ratio but I soaked the bag in a tub of water and just poured some vinegar in. I know you don't want to soak the bag though. It may be OK to wipe it down with a sponge.

If it were me, I'd probably be OK with soaking it, drying thoroughly (air dry), and then redo the coating. I assume all the foam padding is closed cell foam, but that might not be correct. My old LowePro Phototrekker classic had a pair of interior pads that were super soft open cell, and chemicals might eat that stuff.

MedicinSC wrote in post #18316440
Tamrac says soft cloth dampened with a mild detergent and water.

Use Woolite. If you put some in a blender with water you will get lots of suds. Put the suds on the bag and wipe off with a damp cloth.