How do you improve the smell of your gun safe?

Ozzieman · October 2, 2010, 12:55 PM

We have two gun safes, my wife has one and I have one. Her's is half guns the rest paperwork and whatever.
The other day she came to me and asked what was OK to use in the safe since it has started smelling like the back side an open grave (her words).
I opened my safe this morning and between the oil residue and gun smell I would agree it does smell like the back side of an open grave (not that I have any idea what that actually smells like).
Just wondering if anyone else has a fix for this “problem”

rtpzwms · October 2, 2010, 01:31 PM

Some put baking soda in the fridge so it should work in the safe. But I think I'd place a open bottle of Hoppies in the corner, "there is nothing like the smell of hoppies in the safe".

gedenke · October 2, 2010, 01:56 PM

+1...you can't "improve" the smell of Hoppes #9. Well, you could try, but it'd probably look like this:

http://www.hoppes.com/products/ca_air_freshener.html

Ozzieman · October 2, 2010, 02:15 PM

I knew this was going to turn silly!
So far we have one vote for backing soda, sounds like good idea.
And two for Hoppes 9,,, well that one is out, we are talking about my wife’s gun save that she lets me store guns in,,,,, and that won’t work,,,, even the air freshener.:barf:

rtpzwms · October 2, 2010, 02:22 PM

Maybe they make a girls scented hoppies?!!

I can see it coming now Vanilla scented hoppies, blueberry hoppies, honeysuckle hoppies. Then what hoppies bubble bath?

10-96 · October 2, 2010, 06:29 PM

Little satchet bags of cedar chips? Moth balls? Automotive air fresheners? Satchet bags of coffee beans? (some of those smell pretty good y'know).

Or, buy your wife her own safe and invite her to make it smell however she wants it to?

Good luck there.

rjrivero · October 2, 2010, 06:38 PM

Drop a dryer sheet in there. Change it every 30 days or so.

4thPointofContact · October 2, 2010, 08:33 PM

I use Febreeze.
It also works when you've worked 4 18-hour days in a row and you've got one more customer to see on Friday before you can find a laundromat on the weekend.

gedenke · October 2, 2010, 09:48 PM

Try explaining to the guys at the range why yer gun smells like "fabreeze". Sorry...couldn't resist!

rjrivero · October 2, 2010, 10:28 PM

In case you haven't noticed, EVERYTHING now a days has either Fabreeze or GREEN TEA.

TheGoldenState · October 2, 2010, 10:32 PM

fresh heavenly roses, cut daily from your well manicured garden ecstasy.

Ill now slap myself on behalf of all of you.

Sport45 · October 3, 2010, 03:13 AM

Paint the roof of the safe with cosmoline. Then it will smell right.

Kreyzhorse · October 3, 2010, 06:24 AM

Quote:

+1...you can't "improve" the smell of Hoppes #9.

+1. I strive for that smell!

highvel · October 3, 2010, 07:09 AM

Gun powder, I love the smell of burnt powder in the morning!

yzingerr · October 3, 2010, 11:06 PM

I would look at what you use with a fine tooth comb.
Febreeze probably isnt the greatest, I would use some sort of odor neutralizing item that doesn't put moisture in the air.
Something that pulls moisture and hides odors?
The cedar chips may work?!?

oneounceload · October 4, 2010, 08:25 AM

What's causing the smell in there? DID a small critter get in and die, or is it just the chemicals used on the guns, or maybe it is mold from moisture?

Identify the cause first, then you can best determine how to attack the issue.

Magnum Wheel Man · October 4, 2010, 09:02 AM

agree with looking for the cause of the smell, could be decomposing glue ( if there is felt on anything... if it's just the gun smell then there is nothing to worry about...

my 1st thought was those little pine tree air fresheners, but you must be carefull about some of the smelly things you may hang in there, some may give off slightly corrosive vapors... dryer sheets may be ok, as well as the cedar chips or popori ( spelling ) in a little bag, or a cigar box maybe even an incense stick or oil

Jo6pak · October 4, 2010, 06:50 PM

Step 1= Remove all the guns that you can carry
Step 2= Remove a bunch of ammo for each
Step 3= go to the range
Step 4= empty all loaded cartridges (the fun way)
Step 5= Clean guns
Step 6= replace guns into safe.

the blur · October 5, 2010, 03:24 PM

cut some basil leaves from my garden, and it'll smell fine.
I just threw some in my truck, (with a water leak)

m.p.driver · October 5, 2010, 03:35 PM

My safe smells like linseed oil and breakfree,if yours smells like death then theres something wrong.

wild willy · October 5, 2010, 07:14 PM

The smell of a new gun helps

B. Lahey · October 5, 2010, 07:31 PM

Quote:

it has started smelling like the back side an open grave

Remove the corpse of the dead mouse / rat / squirrel / possum that crawled into the safe and died.

The other suggestions will work better once the source of the funk is removed.

ClydeFrog · October 5, 2010, 09:19 PM

I would suggest buying a few Yankee Candle Car Jars. They come in a variety of scents. They are not very expensive and will last several weeks. I hung up a few in my small kitchen. The Yankee Candle scents are strong at first but not over-powering. The car jar scent will level off but still work after 2/3 days,

.
Other stick-ups or car type units may work too but the Yankee Candle line offers more choices in a low cost, no mess scent.

Don P · October 6, 2010, 07:59 AM

Seems strange,

the odor part. I have been using my safe since 2007 and to date there are no open grave smells present.

007BondJamesBond · October 6, 2010, 08:56 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDGK...eature=related

or it could be worse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDGK...eature=related

October 2, 2010, 12:55 PM	#1
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	How do you improve the smell of your gun safe? We have two gun safes, my wife has one and I have one. Her's is half guns the rest paperwork and whatever. The other day she came to me and asked what was OK to use in the safe since it has started smelling like the back side an open grave (her words). I opened my safe this morning and between the oil residue and gun smell I would agree it does smell like the back side of an open grave (not that I have any idea what that actually smells like). Just wondering if anyone else has a fix for this “problem”

October 2, 2010, 01:31 PM	#2
rtpzwms Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2010 Location: OTS Posts: 1,035	Some put baking soda in the fridge so it should work in the safe. But I think I'd place a open bottle of Hoppies in the corner, "there is nothing like the smell of hoppies in the safe". __________________ Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.

October 2, 2010, 01:56 PM	#3
gedenke Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2007 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 381	+1...you can't "improve" the smell of Hoppes #9. Well, you could try, but it'd probably look like this: http://www.hoppes.com/products/ca_air_freshener.html __________________ There's an art...to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss!

October 2, 2010, 02:22 PM	#5
rtpzwms Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2010 Location: OTS Posts: 1,035	Maybe they make a girls scented hoppies?!! I can see it coming now Vanilla scented hoppies, blueberry hoppies, honeysuckle hoppies. Then what hoppies bubble bath? __________________ Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.

October 2, 2010, 06:29 PM	#6
10-96 Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Tx Panhandle Territory Posts: 4,159	Little satchet bags of cedar chips? Moth balls? Automotive air fresheners? Satchet bags of coffee beans? (some of those smell pretty good y'know). Or, buy your wife her own safe and invite her to make it smell however she wants it to? Good luck there. __________________ Rednecks... Keeping the woods critter-free since March 2, 1836. (TX Independence Day) I suspect a thing or two... because I've seen a thing or two.

October 2, 2010, 02:15 PM	#4
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	I knew this was going to turn silly! So far we have one vote for backing soda, sounds like good idea. And two for Hoppes 9,,, well that one is out, we are talking about my wife’s gun save that she lets me store guns in,,,,, and that won’t work,,,, even the air freshener.:barf:

October 2, 2010, 06:38 PM	#7
rjrivero Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,399	Drop a dryer sheet in there. Change it every 30 days or so.

October 2, 2010, 08:33 PM	#8
4thPointofContact Junior member Join Date: September 22, 2007 Posts: 197	I use Febreeze. It also works when you've worked 4 18-hour days in a row and you've got one more customer to see on Friday before you can find a laundromat on the weekend.

October 2, 2010, 09:48 PM	#9
gedenke Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2007 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 381	Try explaining to the guys at the range why yer gun smells like "fabreeze". Sorry...couldn't resist! __________________ There's an art...to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss!

October 2, 2010, 10:28 PM	#10
rjrivero Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,399	Fabreeze or green tea. In case you haven't noticed, EVERYTHING now a days has either Fabreeze or GREEN TEA.

October 2, 2010, 10:32 PM	#11
TheGoldenState Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2010 Posts: 1,191	fresh heavenly roses, cut daily from your well manicured garden ecstasy. Ill now slap myself on behalf of all of you. __________________ The Day You Get Comfortable Is The Day You Get Careless...

October 3, 2010, 03:13 AM	#12
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	Paint the roof of the safe with cosmoline. Then it will smell right. __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.

October 3, 2010, 07:09 AM	#14
highvel Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2010 Location: Powhatan VA Posts: 633	Gun powder, I love the smell of burnt powder in the morning! __________________ Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.--Mark Twain "I have opinions of my own 'strong opinions' but I don't always agree with them."--George Bush

October 3, 2010, 11:06 PM	#15
yzingerr Member Join Date: October 27, 2001 Location: CA, USA Posts: 21	I would look at what you use with a fine tooth comb. Febreeze probably isnt the greatest, I would use some sort of odor neutralizing item that doesn't put moisture in the air. Something that pulls moisture and hides odors? The cedar chips may work?!? __________________ I RIDE THEREFORE I AM.

October 4, 2010, 08:25 AM	#16
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	What's causing the smell in there? DID a small critter get in and die, or is it just the chemicals used on the guns, or maybe it is mold from moisture? Identify the cause first, then you can best determine how to attack the issue.

October 4, 2010, 09:02 AM	#17
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	agree with looking for the cause of the smell, could be decomposing glue ( if there is felt on anything... if it's just the gun smell then there is nothing to worry about... my 1st thought was those little pine tree air fresheners, but you must be carefull about some of the smelly things you may hang in there, some may give off slightly corrosive vapors... dryer sheets may be ok, as well as the cedar chips or popori ( spelling ) in a little bag, or a cigar box maybe even an incense stick or oil __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

October 4, 2010, 06:50 PM	#18
Jo6pak Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: West Coast...of WI Posts: 1,663	Step 1= Remove all the guns that you can carry Step 2= Remove a bunch of ammo for each Step 3= go to the range Step 4= empty all loaded cartridges (the fun way) Step 5= Clean guns Step 6= replace guns into safe. __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF contributor.

October 5, 2010, 03:24 PM	#19
the blur Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2010 Posts: 243	cut some basil leaves from my garden, and it'll smell fine. I just threw some in my truck, (with a water leak)

October 5, 2010, 03:35 PM	#20
m.p.driver Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 552	My safe smells like linseed oil and breakfree,if yours smells like death then theres something wrong.

October 5, 2010, 07:14 PM	#21
wild willy Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2006 Posts: 404	The smell of a new gun helps

October 5, 2010, 09:19 PM	#23
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	Yankee Candle; Car Jars.... I would suggest buying a few Yankee Candle Car Jars. They come in a variety of scents. They are not very expensive and will last several weeks. I hung up a few in my small kitchen. The Yankee Candle scents are strong at first but not over-powering. The car jar scent will level off but still work after 2/3 days, . Other stick-ups or car type units may work too but the Yankee Candle line offers more choices in a low cost, no mess scent.

October 6, 2010, 07:59 AM	#24
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Seems strange, the odor part. I have been using my safe since 2007 and to date there are no open grave smells present. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

October 6, 2010, 08:56 AM	#25
007BondJamesBond Junior Member Join Date: November 3, 2009 Posts: 12	I love The Smell Of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDGK...eature=related or it could be worse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDGK...eature=related __________________ Margaret Thatcher: “The trouble with Socialism is, sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.” Last edited by 007BondJamesBond; October 6, 2010 at 09:20 AM.