How to get a PC to stop smelling like an ashtray.

All Discussions > Steam Forums > Off Topic > Topic Details

Honk Honk Mar 12, 2016 @ 2:43pm

I sold my pc about a month and a half ago and instantly regretted it. Fast forward to now and I bought a good gaming pc from a guy on craigslist but I didn't know it was a smoke infested home and now the PC smells like an ashtray that I can't put into my house with the fear of making my home smell like an ashtray as well. I was thinking I could come on here and get some PC-elitest help, so can anybody tell me how I can get the cigarette smell out? Thanks.

< >

Showing 1-15 of 24 comments

kegomin Mar 12, 2016 @ 2:46pm

maybe use that canned air stuff and spary it everywhere?

Honk Honk Mar 12, 2016 @ 2:47pm

Originally posted by high:
maybe use that canned air stuff and spary it everywhere?

An air compressor? Or something else

kegomin Mar 12, 2016 @ 2:49pm

Originally posted by Baller McBallerson:
Originally posted by high:
maybe use that canned air stuff and spary it everywhere?
An air compressor? Or something else

yeh something like that

Blackstar001 Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:01pm

Take it apart and wipe down the non-electical parts with rubbing alcohol to remove the tar. Things like the fan, dust screens, outer case etc. would probably be where it would collect most.

Also blowing it off with compressed air outside might help too. I mean it is probably embeded in the dust bunnies.

Sir Dookface McFerretballs Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:02pm

Having experience in auto detailing, I can tell you nothing short of giving the entire thing an acid bath will get rid of the smoke smell.

You would have to replace EVERYTHING NOT METAL. Anything that is porus like plastic and foam and such will never stop smelling like smoke.

Using compressed air will just blow any ash or such into a corner, you need to use a vacuum.

There are things you can do like get an enzyme based air freshener but that will only disguise the scent for a little while and could damage the electronic components in a computer or even cause a fire.

Basically you have to clean and absorb the stink in some way. There are all kinds of tricks for cars (baking soda, activated charcoal, dryer sheets, antibiotic pet shampoo and so on), but I don't know how well it would work with a computer.

Mr. Shaggnificent Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:12pm

Originally posted by Sir Dookface McFerretballs:
[...]
Basically you have to clean and absorb the stink in some way. There are all kinds of tricks for cars (baking soda, activated charcoal, dryer sheets, antibiotic pet shampoo and so on), but I don't know how well it would work with a computer.

I would try placing a bit of the charcoal inside, where it's not touching anything, some baking soda outside near any vents, and a dryer sheet over the fan(only one layer so it's not too much resistance).

Alternately, you could resell it and buy a new(to you) one, but ask if they're a smoker this time.

Honk Honk Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:15pm

Originally posted by Sir Dookface McFerretballs:
Having experience in auto detailing, I can tell you nothing short of giving the entire thing an acid bath will get rid of the smoke smell.

You would have to replace EVERYTHING NOT METAL. Anything that is porus like plastic and foam and such will never stop smelling like smoke.

Using compressed air will just blow any ash or such into a corner, you need to use a vacuum.

There are things you can do like get an enzyme based air freshener but that will only disguise the scent for a little while and could damage the electronic components in a computer or even cause a fire.

Basically you have to clean and absorb the stink in some way. There are all kinds of tricks for cars (baking soda, activated charcoal, dryer sheets, antibiotic pet shampoo and so on), but I don't know how well it would work with a computer.

Would getting a new case work?

Sir Dookface McFerretballs Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:21pm

Originally posted by Baller McBallerson:
Originally posted by Sir Dookface McFerretballs:
Having experience in auto detailing, I can tell you nothing short of giving the entire thing an acid bath will get rid of the smoke smell.

You would have to replace EVERYTHING NOT METAL. Anything that is porus like plastic and foam and such will never stop smelling like smoke.

Using compressed air will just blow any ash or such into a corner, you need to use a vacuum.

There are things you can do like get an enzyme based air freshener but that will only disguise the scent for a little while and could damage the electronic components in a computer or even cause a fire.

Basically you have to clean and absorb the stink in some way. There are all kinds of tricks for cars (baking soda, activated charcoal, dryer sheets, antibiotic pet shampoo and so on), but I don't know how well it would work with a computer.
Would getting a new case work?

The problem is the motherboard and fans and such are mostly plastic as well and there is not much you can do there other than take everything apart and try to carefully clean it as best as possible.

There is the smoke smell and then there is the harder to remove tar and nicotine.

If the case is plastic then replacing it would be a good idea, again especially if it has porus (rough) plastics but you would have to replace all the fans as well as they most likely got the brunt of the smoke, likely getting all gunked up in the coils of the fans as well.

All in all for a computer I'd say depending on how annoying it is to you it would be better just to get or build a new computer.

CatPerson Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:34pm

The "tar" aspect of the smoke (the sticky-ish yellow residue) gets everywhere and on everything, including inside PSU fans and GPU cases and the like. If it's very minimal (wasn't in the smoker's house very long), over time you'll just stop noticing it/it'll mostly fade away. If it's heavily coated (months/years of exposure), it'll never truly go away (or, like a litterbox, you may stop noticing it, but friends coming over may still notice it a little), plus all that goo isn't good for the PC component lifespans.

So yeah...if it's really bad, there's not too much recourse. Cleaning the case, changing easy to change wires, new PSU/fans etc...but after a while, you may as well just get a new rig instead of doing all of that, if it's still bothering you a lot.

Honk Honk Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:40pm

Originally posted by CatPerson:
The "tar" aspect of the smoke (the sticky-ish yellow residue) gets everywhere and on everything, including inside PSU fans and GPU cases and the like. If it's very minimal (wasn't in the smoker's house very long), over time you'll just stop noticing it/it'll mostly fade away. If it's heavily coated (months/years of exposure), it'll never truly go away (or, like a litterbox, you may stop noticing it, but friends coming over may still notice it a little), plus all that goo isn't good for the PC component lifespans.

So yeah...if it's really bad, there's not too much recourse. Cleaning the case, changing easy to change wires, new PSU/fans etc...but after a while, you may as well just get a new rig instead of doing all of that, if it's still bothering you a lot.

He said it was built in mid-late 2015, is that good or bad?

#10

CatPerson Mar 12, 2016 @ 3:57pm

Originally posted by Baller McBallerson:
He said it was built in mid-late 2015, is that good or bad?

Depends a lot on how heavy a smoker he was. A few/several a day, or a pack a day+. Well ventilated large room, always closed-off/small room.

That said, like any musty piece of furniture, or like those foam mattress pads that stink to high heaven when you first unroll them, if you just ventilate the room well for the first several days, it's highly unlikely it'll make your whole house or room smell like an ashtray on any permanent basis. It's not the same as actually smoking yourself.

I'd be more concerned about parts longevity. In the old old days, when PC's were a little less "delicate" and didn't run as hot, they could still last a really long time even when coated with cig. tar. But these days ... it's more unpredictable/less likely, imo.

#11

Honk Honk Mar 12, 2016 @ 4:17pm

Originally posted by CatPerson:
Originally posted by Baller McBallerson:
He said it was built in mid-late 2015, is that good or bad?
Depends a lot on how heavy a smoker he was. A few/several a day, or a pack a day+. Well ventilated large room, always closed-off/small room.

That said, like any musty piece of furniture, or like those foam mattress pads that stink to high heaven when you first unroll them, if you just ventilate the room well for the first several days, it's highly unlikely it'll make your whole house or room smell like an ashtray on any permanent basis. It's not the same as actually smoking yourself.

I'd be more concerned about parts longevity. In the old old days, when PC's were a little less "delicate" and didn't run as hot, they could still last a really long time even when coated with cig. tar. But these days ... it's more unpredictable/less likely, imo.

Thanks, I really do appreciate it!

#12

Sparse Dunes Mar 12, 2016 @ 4:19pm

LIke anything tar gets into things and won't let go. If you really don't want to risk destroying parts like Dookface said with an acid bath. Might want to try using an air freshner. Course that just might end up mixing the scents.

#13