I have a collection of cables I have used and then upgraded from. Also keeeping them.
So far I’ve used an area of an outside garage with a large chest of drawers to put them in.
After some years I have looked at some that could again be useful. But, they all have a lingering fusty aroma inherited from residing with paint strippers, garden weed killers and all manner of domestic toxicity.
So far I have done the sodium bicarbonate frosting on a nice mains cable left for a few weeks.
This has proved more than an old wives tale.
Leaving a cable fit for normal aromatic domestic use.
Just wondering if any others have experienced this phenomenon ? Then could suggest alternative methods to eliminate the fusty smell
Thankyou.
Years ago I bought a power cable with a fabric braided jacket second hand. I forgot to ask the seller if it was from a smoke free home, I opened the shipping box & was greeted with the wonderful smell of a stale ash tray. I tried all the online recommendations I could find & they all seemed to be temporary as the following day the smell would come back. About the best method was leaving it outside for a few days under a covered area. This removed the majority of the smell but with a nose placed close I could still smell smoke. Not wanting the smell to transfer to my other cables I set it in a safe place in the home & forgot about it for ~6months. After remembering I had this set away, to my surprise all traces of smoke had completely disappeared. So my recommendation would be some outside fresh air living (with some UV) & then likely just time.
Well I usually run very old cables through a wad of alcohol wipes if they are so old they have started to sweat a bit or have developed that mysterious old cables curry smell.
