Very often, when purchasing a new item, there is some discomfort from the smell emanating from the purchase. Imagine a situation: you need to purchase an oilcloth for a table that would complement the interior of the kitchen. You come to the store, find the perfect option, bring it home and are unpleasantly surprised by the smell of the new thing. You can’t take the oilcloth back to the store, especially since there is no guarantee that the new item will have a neutral smell. There is only one way out - to fight the “aroma”. There are simple and accessible ways to do this.
Soap plus milk
Oilcloths often have a waterproof layer. It consists of various oils. Therefore, it is better not to use substances that contain aggressive components, such as acetone, etc. Otherwise, you may lose this protective coating.
Use a solution of milk, water and soap. This product will rid the oilcloth of persistent chemical odor. Together, the components included in the solution will not only rid the product of unpleasant odors, but also clean the surface.
Types and properties of oilcloth tablecloth
Oilcloth tablecloths can be made of traditional PVC and polyester or modern acrylic, silicone and other materials. On the front side, the oilcloth is covered with a moisture-resistant and waterproof layer.
Acrylic and vinyl can effectively imitate and replace fine fabric products. In addition, acrylic is not afraid of high temperatures, which allows you to effectively use the accessory in the kitchen. You can safely place a hot frying pan or saucepan on the product.
Silicone is a protective film that covers the table. It protects against scratches, cuts and dirt, while preserving the texture and design of the furniture. Products made of polyester and PVC are the most affordable and practical. They do not fade, are quickly cleaned and do not wrinkle, and are available in a wide range of colors.
However, polyester and polyvinyl chloride have an unpleasant and pungent odor. The source of this smell is toxic solvents and paints, due to which oilcloth is so bright, colorful and beautiful.
And despite the advantages of the products, many housewives are in no hurry to choose this type of material, since it really stinks. But this situation can be corrected if you use one of the methods to combat the pungent odor.
Baking soda
Almost every home has baking soda. This tool will help cope with the existing problem. This is done as follows:
There is another method that also requires the use of soda. Pour boiling water over the soda. Apply this product to a foam sponge and run it over the table. Then rinse the surface.
Lemon juice
For the next method you will need:
- Mix sea salt, lemon juice and add a few drops of ethanol to the resulting mixture.
- Apply this product in a thin layer over the entire surface.
- Leave everything for an hour, then remove the remaining prepared product.
- Rinse the product thoroughly.
The result will pleasantly surprise you: the smell will become much less noticeable. Repeat the procedure over the next few days and there will be no trace of the “aroma” left.
Important! As an option, you can simply wipe the item with half a lemon, but this will only help if the smell is not very intense.
Hydrogen peroxide
An unpleasant odor and many unwanted stains can be dealt with using another universal remedy - hydrogen peroxide. Treat the entire surface with a small piece of cloth or a cotton pad soaked in peroxide.
The positive aspects of this method are that it has disinfecting properties. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to wash off the substance once the result is achieved. Negative aspects - peroxide can discolor the bright colors of oilcloth. Therefore, first experiment with this product on an inconspicuous small area of the product.
Vinegar
Vinegar is an incredible tool that can help get rid of many different stains and odors. It will also be useful for removing the smell from new oilcloth for the table. There are two options on how to proceed. Preference should be given depending on the specific situation:
- If the product does not smell strongly, mix vinegar with water in equal proportions and treat it with the resulting solution.
- If the smell is strong enough, do not mix it with anything else. Treat the surface, leaving the mixture on for an hour, then wash it with soap and dry at room temperature.
Laundry soap
Laundry soap was also very popular among our great-grandmothers. This product can handle almost any contamination. In addition, it can be used to get rid of unpleasant odors.
A decorative item that is on the dining table and at the same time emits unpleasant odors should be thoroughly soaped and washed off with warm water after 1 hour. Wipe or dry.
At the end of the procedure, wipe the oilcloth with any essential oil. Instead of an unpleasant odor, the product will emit a delicious aroma.
How to get rid of the smell of an oilcloth tablecloth
- To remove the smell, hang the oilcloth in the fresh air, but not in direct sunlight, otherwise it will lose its brightness and color. Leave the product for 5-7 days and the smell will go away on its own;
- Use vinegar. To remove a slight odor, mix the product half and half with water and wipe the tablecloth. A strong and very irritating odor can be removed with undiluted vinegar. Wipe the surface of the product and leave for an hour, then rinse off with warm soapy water;
- You can eliminate the unpleasant smell of an oilcloth tablecloth using baking soda. Dissolve the product in boiling water and wipe the surface of the oilcloth with a sponge. Wash off the composition with warm soapy water;
- Take hydrogen peroxide and dampen a piece of cloth. Wipe the surface of the tablecloth and do not rinse. Peroxide will not only eliminate the odor, but also disinfect the material. But be careful, as the product may cause the oilcloth to lose its brightness;
- Lemon, sea salt and ethyl alcohol will remove a strong and pungent odor. Squeeze lemon juice, add a little salt and two drops of alcohol. Mix the ingredients and treat the oilcloth with the mixture. Leave the product on for an hour, then remove the residue and rinse the product. A faint odor can be removed by lightly wiping the tablecloth with a slice of lemon;
- Lather the accessory with laundry soap and leave for an hour. Rinse off the soapy mixture with warm water and then wipe the surface with cool water;
- For dark oilcloth, use a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Potassium permanganate is diluted in large quantities of warm water. Soak the tablecloth in the composition for half an hour, then rinse in clean water and dry at room temperature;
- Soak the oilcloth in a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide with the addition of 10-12 drops of iodine. Leave the product for an hour, then wash with soap, rinse and dry;
- Apply dishwashing detergent to the surface of the material, leave for an hour and rinse the oilcloth thoroughly. Then dry at room temperature. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
Ventilation
What to do if polyvinyl oilcloth stinks? If you don’t need the oilcloth right this minute, then you can hang it on a rope outside to air.
After one week, not a trace of the “aromas” will remain.
Moreover, the smell will not remain, even if the item was purchased on a Chinese website.
Important! You can only leave the product outside in the shade.
Under direct rays, the oilcloth will most likely become deformed and may also lose its bright color.
We include popular methods for removing a specific odor
What if you just ventilate it?
Of course, I really want to immediately put the new thing on the table and admire it. However, you will have to wait a while and, perhaps, for more than one day. You just need to hang the oilcloth on the street. Knowledgeable people say that in a week any persistent smell will go away.
Under no circumstances should you leave the item in the open sun - this can lead to loss of brightness of the colors that are so pleasing to the eye and even deformation.
Tired of the smell of mold? Only methods that work.
And again vinegar!
The universal home assistant is ready here too. With its help, many contaminants and unwanted “odors” are removed.
How to remove odor from oilcloth on a table using vinegar? In this case, you can do things differently. If the smell from it is not very strong, then vinegar can be diluted halfway with water and wipe the oilcloth tablecloth with this mixture.
Well, if the smell is very annoying, then it is better to use undiluted vinegar. After treating the surface with it, after an hour the oilcloth is washed with soap. Room temperature is suitable for drying.
Soda and peroxide - a good tradition
The following recipes contain equally versatile ingredients:
- baking soda;
- hydrogen peroxide.
They can be used separately or together. So, add soda to boiling water and, having moistened a foam sponge in the solution, go over the entire area of the oilcloth stretched on the table, and then wash it with soap. And with peroxide it’s even easier: moisten a small cloth or cotton pad in it and wipe the surface.
Since peroxide is colorless and also has a disinfecting effect, there is no need to wash it off. But it may happen that after such treatment the bright colors fade.
The “general” option is a mixture of soda with two to three tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, which is treated in the same way. After keeping the composition on the oilcloth for half an hour, wash it off with warm soapy water.
What would it be like without lemon?!
If the smell is not very intense, you can simply wipe your new thing with a slice of lemon.
A more complex composition is recommended if the “aroma” is strong:
- lemon juice;
- sea salt;
- ethanol.
The juice is mixed with salt, and then a couple of drops of alcohol are added. A thin layer of the composition is applied to the surface and left for about an hour. Then its remains are removed, and the product is thoroughly washed.
If the smell does not go away immediately, you should repeat the procedure the next day.
Read how to get rid of musty smell.
Did you know about this? Rare but working methods
We looked at ways to get rid of odor using traditional means from experienced housewives. But there are several more not so common recipes for how to get rid of the smell of new oilcloth on the table.
Reliable laundry soap
Everyone knows that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used this product to clean any dirt. But he is also capable of eliminating unpleasant odors.
A new decorative item for the kitchen table is thoroughly soaped and left for an hour, and then rinsed first in heated and then in cold water.
Often a waterproof layer specially composed of various oils is applied to oilcloth products. To avoid removing it along with the smell, you should use cleaning products that do not contain high concentrations of chemical elements.
A solution of soap in water and milk gives a good effect. It should be used according to the examples already described. After the procedure, it will not be superfluous to wipe the oilcloth with a cotton swab moistened with essential oil, the smell of which you prefer.
"Pharmacy" recipes
To remove oilcloth amber, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is also used, but it should be borne in mind that it is only suitable for dark-colored products.
Heated water is poured into a large basin or bathtub and several crystals of potassium permanganate are dissolved - at the rate of two or three grains per liter of liquid. The maple is placed in the solution for 0.5 hours, rinsed and dried at room temperature.
A less expensive method: soak a gauze napkin in the solution and place it directly on the oilcloth lying on the table.
An oilcloth product can also be soaked for an hour in an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide, adding 12 drops of iodine tincture to it. The procedure ends with washing with soap.
And vodka too
It turns out that vodka can absorb unpleasant odors, and the “aroma” of PVC is no exception. The “fragrant” polyvinyl chloride product is moistened with forty degrees for an hour, after which it is washed off with soap.
Not just for dishes
And, of course, one cannot help but recall the usual and familiar dishwashing detergent. It is applied in the same way to the surface of an oilcloth tablecloth for an hour and rinsed thoroughly at the end.
As we see, there are quite enough ways to remove smell from new oilcloth: for some reason one does not work, you can try another, a third. All of them are accessible even to the youngest housewife and do not require special knowledge and skills.
