Exhaust fumes on ponies​, what would you do?

[SaraMari]

Hi everyone
I would like to get some opinions on the stinky ponies I just received haha

I bought a lot of ponies on eBay, specifically stating they did not smell like smoke, well I guess that's true because they stink of exhaust (maybe disel or oil)! I feel they were stored in garage for a long time.

One of the ponies is a more rare one and I paid market rate for the lot, besides the stink they are near mint! I know covering items in baking soda removes smoke, but I wonder if it would help with exhaust.

I will contact the seller, but should I return them or try to remove the smell?

[kissthethunder]

I've heard good things about sealing them with baking soda working. Sometimes you do have to let them sit for a good deal of time though

[Snapdragon]

One thing that I find helps for strong smells - set them outside for like, a month! (Well, start with a week and see if there's any improvement!) I also received some dolls who REEKED of smoke, and I put them knee-deep in a bag of cat sand, and let them sit outside for several weeks. They were much better when I came back! From what I've heard, there's also a stronger smell-catching property in the hair, for whatever reason, so give them a good wash to start off with, it should help somewhat!

This is all based on my knowledge of how to remove bad odors in general, but I imagine exhaust can't be much different than smoke ... right?

[Artemesia's Garden]

Those dry methods can work really well! If otherwise in NM condition I'm guessing you wouldn't want to risk getting water inside the pony.

[orangepeachmango]

Hoofa doofa i hope you get at least some of your money back :  (!!! Especially after such a claim as "they don't smell like smoke" only to find out they smell like.. Car smoke

[lovesbabysquirmy]

If you are not going to return for a full refund, which it doesn't sound like, then just please be honest in feedback afterwards that they didn't smell like cigarette smoke but definitely something else!

[tracyjason616]

If they are mint & you got them cheap I would keep them, take whichever heads are loose or easily removed off, and soak them overnight in a hot bath of oxyclean. Don't soak SSS, ones with glitter symbols that are in really good shape (like Glory or moondancer- those symbols will come right off), and no soaking princess ponies with the painted metal emblems for too long or the paint will rub off. The oxybath soak is typically good when the heads are easily removable so they absorb the hot oxyclean into the vinyl & the mane hair glue. I have not had good luck with any other method (even freezing outside, laundry sheets, laundry soap, etc)- once that smell is in the vinyl it's there for good unless you can take the pony apart. The ones you can't take apart I would soak in a laundry detergent bath for a few minutes each (stay with them, don't let them sit), and then rinse, shampoo, condition, repeat a couple of times. This will help tame the smell but won't get rid of it entirely. Then once you go to sell, always disclose what you have done & that there may be a lingering odor.

[SaraMari]

kissthethunder - thank you for your info on baking soda, it's great to hear that it works!

Snapdragon - Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, exhaust and smoke should have some similar elements and I have read online that many treatments for gas/exhaust are the same as smoke

Artemesia Floc - Yeah, I'd prefer not to do any deep cleaning, as the auction stated they were in "clean and smoke free condition"

orangepeachmango - I finally got a reply from the seller's assistant, they are trying to give me the run around so we'll see. She said because their business office is smoke free the ponies should smell fine. But right in the auction it said they were from an estate sale, obviously that's where the damage occured...

lovesbabysquirmy - I am leaning more towards a refund, though the seller seems like they are going to make that difficult. I will for sure be leaving feedback that relects the damage of the ponies, especially since this seller is listing more of them. I do note that after I emailed them, the "Clean and smoke free" in their listings was removed

tracyjason616 - Thanks for sharing such great information with me. I was think an oxyclean bath would be a good step. They are certainly NM but they were not cheap at all

Thank you everyone for your ideas and tips so far, it's been very helpful! As well the Seller (their assistant actually) replied:
"Is it just the regular smell of plastic or worse?. I have a terrible sense of smell so any order of fuel didn't get to my poor senses. It does come from a smoke free business and home where I packed them. Try putting an open container of baking soda in the plastic bag with them for 24 hours. Let me know if you spent any money to get rid of the odors and I'll reimburse your PayPal"

Personally, I don't think Gasoline and vinyl plastic smell alike... Given the price I paid and their response, I'l just return them (if the seller cooperates)

[orangepeachmango]

If it was their home or a family home, they could be nose blind to the scent. I personally would ask for a refund since it specifically said there was no odor but there was. Id want to keep them, though haha! If you have the time Im sure giving the girls a smog check would be easy.

[Artemesia's Garden]

If you submerge the pony you need to take the head off to dry them inside and out becasue water will get in the tail hole and linger inside.  High humidity may contribute to plastic breakdown.

[Pokeyonekenobie]

Would febreeze do anything for them?  I've never tried to febreeze a pony before, so I don't know if it would help or hurt.

[orangepeachmango]

Would febreeze do anything for them?  I've never tried to febreeze a pony before, so I don't know if it would help or hurt.

only temporarily ;~) and it only makes the surface level smell go away, if you bring the pony to your face and sniff you can still smell.