If only they smelled like yams...

November 30, 2009 6:21 AM

We've returned from an uneventful Thanksgiving trip to the family nest to find nearly all of our baggage reeking of what can best be described as "Old Turkey." What in the world can we do to rid these bags of this awful smell?

I don't get it. It was a normal enough Turkey day. No Turkeys were flash fried or immolated or puree'd. Turkey was baked, meals were had, squabbling ensued, your usual enough day. The house did not smell particularly of anything more than a home cookd meal.

Yet here we are. (sniff) -- eyuck! It's like, if the bags were left right next to the stove top, and we boiled the Turkey, this is what I'd expect the bags to smell like.

Fine fine, enough of the detail. I tried boiling some lemons and letting the bags hang out by the stove, but apparently that is more a fish oil thing.

One more wrinkle -- the baby stroller got "Turkey Musk" too. I'm hoping for a solution that doesn't involve just spraying perfume on the bags/stroller, if possible.

posted by cavalier to home & garden (10 comments total)

if you have protected access to outside, hang them outside for a couple of days and nights, provided no rain.
if not, go to your local janitorial supply store and buy some spray-on destanktifier. Making expensive, unlaunderable, stinky things unstinky is a multi-hojillion-dollar industry in the U.S.
National Chemical Laboratories (NCL) has a broad array of fine products to address your needs. They have sprays that have a lingering fragrance, sprays that have a non-lingering fragrance, sprays that go on as a liquid, sprays that go on as a gel, sprays that smell like cinnamon, sprays that smell like salon shampoo.
I'm not even kidding.
Last of all, for the highly satisfying, lo-tech, lo-cost, lo-fragrance solution, go buy a butt-load of Borax or baking soda (or both) and fill all the stanky items with it. dump them out and spank them in a couple of days.
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:32 AM on November 30, 2009

Just asking: are there cats in the family nest?
Because I really don't think a dead turkey could do this.
posted by SLC Mom at 6:35 AM on November 30, 2009

Good thinking SLC -- no, no cats, dogs, pets, animals of any kind.
posted by cavalier at 6:41 AM on November 30, 2009

Baking soda. Pour it all over the bags/stroller. Let sit for a while. Vacuum. Repeat as necessary.
posted by cooker girl at 6:42 AM on November 30, 2009

My home made recipe:

Fill a spay bottle with 40% vodka (cheap vodka is all right) and 60% water.
Shake. Spray generously on suitcases (also works wonders on clothes) - not mouth! Let it rest in open air. Repeat if necessary.

Works perfect on all scents and sometimes (depending where you get your vodka) it is even cheaper than normal clothes freshener.

Use remaining liquid to spray your bathroom tiles.

:)
posted by LittlePrince at 6:42 AM on November 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

The vodka method is an old theater trick to remove actor-funk -- poor man's febreze, essentially.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:11 AM on November 30, 2009

I would do the vodka spray and sunlight/fresh air, if those things are available somewhere that you can safely leave it all out.

If you were going to try baking soda, I would suggest enclosing each bag with an open container of baking soda, but not trying to apply it directly to the bag. You'll never get it all off, and then your bags will forever be of extra interest to airport security.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:22 AM on November 30, 2009

spreading baking soda or activated charcoal over all of it and leaving it in a confined area or vodka in an open area are your best bets for removing it
posted by Blasdelb at 1:00 PM on November 30, 2009

Hm... good point with the TSA w/r/t baking soda. Will give these suggestions a whirl today and report back... MANY thanks y'all! :)
posted by cavalier at 7:04 AM on December 1, 2009

It seemed a good chunk of sunlight and baking soda neutralized the naughty yucky smell. I was rather sparing with the soda and will happily report when/if this ever runs me afoul of TSA folks. Thanks kindly y'all!

(Note, the 40/60 vodka trick did not escape my radar, and I'm sure it would have worked neat as well!)
posted by cavalier at 8:53 AM on December 7, 2009