exped ul stench

[Rick Adams]

My teenage son went to camporee last weekend, made some bad food choices, and puked on his wm bag and exped ul while sleeping.

I have washed the bag twice and it is not smelly. The exped on the otherhand, after being hosed off and then sprayed twice with a strong solution of mirazyme, and then left hanging on a clothes line for 3 days, still smells nasty when you get within a couple feet.

I don't think it will wash in the washer well and I don't want it to be heavily scented for bear safety reasons.

So, any ideas before it hits the scrap heap?

[Derek M.]

Rick, that really stinks.

I'm sure others will have better suggestions, but if all else fails and the only other options is throwing it out, I would suggest the following (with the caveat that I don't know for sure whether or not they will harm the pad):

1) Scrub a baking soda slurry into the stained spots, then wash with copious amounts of water. This slurry is mildly basic and should act to neutralize many of the stomach acids found in the stains. It might also help to neutralize some of the smell. Best to wear gloves while doing this.

2) Completely deflate the pad (like, the best you've ever done), then toss it into a front loading washing machine and put it through a gentle cycle with a little bit of normal detergent. This may damage the pad (either tearing the outer fabric or shearing the inner insulation or baffles), but I doubt it would do much more harm than good if the alternative is just to throw the pad away.

[Stephen M]

Best to contact Exped.

[Matthew Perry]

Best to buy yourself a new one and make your kid use the pukey one until he moves out of the house :)

M

[Rick Adams]

called exped and they said if myrazeme didn't take care of it it is likely doomed as any washing machine will destroy it. will try baking soda paste before it is condemned

don't want to have kid use it as we are usually in bear country and smelly things in tent is a no no. i doubt it would be an issue, other than whining, but saving a couple bucks for even a little increased risk doesn't pencil out for me. Uh honey…..about our son………

thanks

[Gary Dunckel]

Rick, why don't you deflate it, take it to the manual car wash, and try to clean it that way first? The water pressure shouldn't hurt it. Then you could try the baking soda trick, and maybe even Febreeze after that. I would think that something should be able to get the smell out.

[Diane Pinkers]

On Fresh Aire on NPR last week or two, Terri Gross interviewed a lady who writes a cleaning column on-line, and who wrote a book entitled, "My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag, and Other Things You Can't Ask Martha." She said during the interview that protein stains (anything that comes out of the body) require enzymatic cleaners, like Zout or Oxy-Clean, don't even reach for the bleach. Make a paste of the detergent, apply directly to the pad where the offending odor comes from, and let it sit. If that won't cut it, you are likely screwed.

[Marc Shea]

Before throwing the pad out, I would try a stain and odor remover for carpets like Woolite or Resolve, or your favorite other brand. Most carpets are nylon or polyester, so it will probably not harm the sleeping pad fabric. Yes, it will have a powerful fragrance afterwards, but this will dissipate over time.

You could also try vodka as it will remove odors without leaving a scent.

[Don A.]

I've had good luck with vinegar for removing stench from clothing. I now carry some on extended trips for defunking clothes. Vomit?–never had the opportunity to try it. Vinegar is cheap enough to make it worth trying.

[David Thomas]

If you're considering putting it in a washing machine, put it in a mesh bag that prevents it from unrolling and getting stretched and stressed in there.

And what is a washing machine but hot water and a good detergent? Oh, yeah, agitation. In a mesh bag, in a bucket of hot water with detergent, you could tug on a string every time you walked past and have a DIY very, very delicate wash cycle.

[Christopher *]

I actually listened to that Fresh-Air episode! It was such a strange topic I was mesmerized.

She also mentioned the use of a meat tenderizer to break down set protein stains/odors. Based on what I heard you might want to try a paste of the tenderizer left to sit for 20 or 30 minutes on the offending area followed by a paste of baking soda for the same amount if time.

As a big disclaimer I am no expert … I was just bored on the way home from work!

[David Hyde]

OK, this will sound nuts, but, when I was a kid, once attacked by a skunk, my granny made me take a bath in tomato juice…and it worked. I get that skunk odor and vomit are different, but hey, I'm just throwing out ideas.

Also my cat peed in my wife's car. I cleaned and cleaned, wouldn't go away…for a long time. The eventual trick..time and sunshine. You'd be surprised what UV rays will solve, though they'll also shorten the pad's life.

[Sharon J.]

meat tenderizer works reasonably well for blood stains

for skunks, best thing is hydrogen peroxide + baking soda + dish detergent + water

I'd try a pet odor remover like nature's miracle for this, but I don't know how similar that is to what you've already used.

[JCH]

Mirazyme? All natural. Been around a long time. Proven.

[Link .]

In Rick's post he says
"hosed off and then sprayed twice with a strong solution of mirazyme"

[Phillip Asby]

Well I'd for sure try baking soda and/or oxiclean.

I'd also give him a ZLite or blue foam pad for his next trip as penance for ruining a $150+ inflatable!

I say that as a guy whose scout son remains very happy with his ZLite because it's lightweight and easy to setup and take down. He does not like to be the last guy packing up.

[Rick Adams]

Call exped, in a nutshell they couldn't help. Ended up buying a crazy strong tub and shower cleaner powered by oxy-clean. One dose of that on each side of the pad massaged with a soft brush and no more smell. It didn't leave even a faint cleanser smell either.

The boy ended up using an ether thermo 6 this weekend while the exped was still out of service, ended up liking it better because it wasn't so slippery. He used to use a z-lite and occasionally uses a ridgerest. I have been experimenting with pads and therefore allow him to try different options too. The exped is the first time his use has caused a loss of resale value. oh well.

of the many pads tested it seems the best night's sleep is from the neo xtherm. it's hard to understand why it is more comfortable to me than an xlite, but it consistently is.

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