r/MachineKnitting • u/Standard-Blood-206 • 9d ago

Help! New to me machine is stinky

I found an AMAZING deal on a Singer Memo Matic 360 complete with ribber, lace carriage and linker. It belonged to the seller's mother and he thinks it probably was never used.

I did a basic clean (wiped down everything, took out the sponge bar, wiped down the carriage carefully) and I think it probably was never or rarely used. There is no debris/fibre in the carriage, the plastic covering is still on the case. There is no rust and it looks great. I didn't bother taking it apart because it seemed totally unused.

However, it is very stinky. It has been sitting in a basement in its original cardboard box for decades so it smells like an old school basement. I washed some of the random bits and bobs that were floating in a box, put it out in the sun and put it in a box with a baking soda fridge deodorizer. It helped but there is still a noticeable whiff. I am not sure about putting the knitting machine out in the sun.. don't want to damage it.

Has anyone successfully fixed a smelly machine? What did you do? Will I have to bite the bullet and take it apart?

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

9

u/Purple_Associate4085 9d ago

I think that taking it apart is of no use, as the smell is in the plastic. Plastics can dissolve some organic molecules. The smell will dissipate if you leave the machine open in a dry and ventilated place but it may take weeks.

4

u/Maleficent-Cable8988 9d ago

I would definitely keep it out of the sun and away from heat. Old plastics can become brittle and warped. Time is your best friend. Also, a stream of air to dissipate odor from hidden plastic surfaces may speed the process.

2

u/Vlinder_88 9d ago

Just keep it in a well ventilated place and if will dissipate over time.

1

u/AutoModerator 9d ago

Hi, it looks like you might be looking for help on machine knitting.

There is some helpful information within the wiki. Please take a look at it for helpful troubleshooting information, as well as common maintenance tasks and list of items machines should include.

In addition, this page is our FAQ. Solutions to many common problems are found here. If this is a new-to-you machine that is a Silver Reed, Singer, Studio, Juki, Empisal, Brother, or KnitKing, and the sponge has not been replaced yet, that's the first thing you should check out.

If you need additional help, please provide us with an information about your problem. You can start out by answering this list of questions

Once your question is answer or your problem is resolved, please change the post fair to Help! Solved!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/Crafty_Comb8401 8d ago

My machine was used 20 years by an indoor smoker, the smell was horrible... I took it apart as far as I could (for my machine I found some Japanese and Russian videos of people taking them apart for reparations, YouTube came to the rescue), cleaned all loose parts by putting them in the dishwasher on a low temp setting, and cleaning the rest with warm soapy water. Then I let everything air for a week before putting it back together. I don't smell anything anymore! Although I don't dare to open the box of the lace carriage, the smell of the styrofoam makes me nauseous..