Time stinks.

August 13, 2008 3:30 AM

Stinky Filter: Please help me banish the strange stench coming from, of all things, my watch.

I love my watch. It's a children's watch with a rubber strap and metal casing on the face. However, I can not bring myself to wear it at the moment because it STINKS. I can't really name the stench - it's kind of a weird plasticy-oniony kind of thing. Not what you want emanating from your wrist.

I tried washing it with hand soap, which did nothing. If anything, it may have made it worse.

Are there any tricks out there for getting this clean? Both the band and the face are smelly. I didn't think it was possible for metal to stink, but oh, it does.

posted by grapefruitmoon to clothing, beauty, & fashion (12 comments total)

Vinegar? Depending on its waterproofness, I'd soak it in some vinegar for a few hours. It's kind of a miracle stink-remover.

Alternatively, you could use rubbing alcohol (soak it or maybe scrub it in with a toothbrush or something). The vinegar would probably work fine and is less death-to-all-things scary, but personally I would choose alcohol for this if the smell is from wrist-stink or something you plopped your hand into. Is the smell a wrist-stink or is it more chemical?

If it's the latter, how old is this watch? The smell you're describing seems somewhat similar to the smell that some old (decades old) rubber/plastic-based toys I used have gave off (particularly some pre-80s troll dolls). If other methods don't take away the smell, it might just be the watch materials starting to degrade and become gross, which you might not be able to do anything about.
posted by phunniemee at 3:44 AM on August 13, 2008

If it's the strap material breaking down, you may be able to simply swap the strap for a replacement one - depending on how exotic it looks, you might be able to match it with a near-identical new rubber one.
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 4:53 AM on August 13, 2008

It's got to be the strap causing this, and there's no way to get it out -- just replace the strap. Clean the metal watch body as suggested, and you'll have no further problems.
posted by beagle at 5:47 AM on August 13, 2008

hydrogen peroxide?
posted by ian1977 at 7:32 AM on August 13, 2008

It's just fermenting sweat and body grime. It happens even on my newer watch straps if I wear them too tight so replacing it doesn't help. Give it a good cleaning with alcohol and a q-tip. Try not to wear it too tight and don't wear it for extended periods of time. I know, that kind of negates the functional usefulness of the watch but there isn't much else to do.
posted by JJ86 at 7:37 AM on August 13, 2008

I would mix some baking soda in a glass of water and let it soak. You can always move up to harsher substances like alcohol or vinegar if that doesn't work. But baking soda is mild.
posted by Daddy-O at 7:47 AM on August 13, 2008

It's the strap. Take it off, then wipe the case clean and wait two days. Then get a new strap.
posted by Nelson at 8:25 AM on August 13, 2008

I don't know about the watch itself, but take the strap off and microwave it for 30 seconds increments until you don't smell it anymore. This has always worked on necklace strings, face towels, etc. Since the band is rubber, you might want to lower the power on the microwave a bit, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Alternatively, you can dip the strap in boiling water.
posted by suedehead at 10:07 AM on August 13, 2008

Just another thought.
I agree it's the strap and I can remember some kinds of plastic having an oniony undertone to the plastic stink. (Maybe related to whether it's cheap plastic?)
I'd be tempted to remove the strap and just stick in a closed container of dry baking soda a few days. Anything hot seems to run a risk of heat distortion. If it works, you'd probably have to repeat it every so often. It'll probably out gas that smell forever. Replacing it would be ideal, but if it has a pattern that matches the face, you'll probably never even come close, and that's half the look of the thing. If it's "water-resistant" that usually means you can get away with rinsing it quickly and drying it right away, which would mean you wouldn't have to remove the strap, which is a PITA job.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 1:02 PM on August 13, 2008

I agree with JJ86 that it's your own body oils and sweat, and whatever you might have contacted recently. I've had this problem (more than once) with an all metal watch. If you look close enough, you can see the build up in all the little corners and on the face of the watch, etc. I've cleaned mine successfully with alcohol and a Qtip. I'm not sure how the rubber will be affected. I would try to clean it... wait a bit... then if it's still a problem, be prepared to replace the band.
(of course, I work in a coffee shop, so my skin is always lubricated with lovely substance like milk and syrup... probably not your problem here. worth a shot anyway)
posted by purpletangerine at 1:17 PM on August 13, 2008

Related question: What if the strap isn't removable? I have this watch and the straps aren't removable. And the watch isn't waterproof. And yes, the strap is starting to smell.
posted by curagea at 2:39 PM on August 13, 2008

Thanks all. I should have mentioned that the watch is practically brand new, so replacing the strap would be a bit ridiculous.

I'll try cleaning it with alcohol and wearing it a bit looser.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:08 PM on August 13, 2008