Strange odor in fun foam

This has nothing to do with quilting but hopefully someone here
might have an answer to a little problem. Today I went to Joann's
to find something for 2nd grade kiddies for Valentines' Day as dh and I
were invited for a Grandparent's luncheon at school. I found a little
kit to make V. Day cards and thought they'd be just the ticket. Well,
the kit contains a magic marker, ribbon and little pieces of fun foam--about
2 x 4 inches
with little foam hearts to glue on. Well, when I opened this box the smell
was so strong
--almost like kerosene or gas.. I can't return them tomorrow...as it is an
hour away and
we are expecting 6-10 inches of snow too !! So ...what to do?...
I've washed them all separately with plain dish detergent...and white
vinegar rinse and
both 'treatments' have lessoned the odor quite a bit. But anyone have some
other good ideas????? I need these for Thursday !! No kitty litter here !!
Fortunately I did buy some glittery pencils and Val. pencils for the girls
and
animal themed pencils for the boys...but sure would like to give these foam
cards !!
Thanks , Mary

Try dropping them in a baggie with some baking soda... maybe that will
help??

Hope so! Also == leave 'em out in the cold over night. That might also
help ...

Good luck... sounds like a fun afternoon with your grandbaby(ies)

--
Kate in MI
http://community.webshots.com/user/K_Groves


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"MB" wrote in message
...
This has nothing to do with quilting but hopefully someone here
might have an answer to a little problem. Today I went to Joann's
to find something for 2nd grade kiddies for Valentines' Day as dh and I
were invited for a Grandparent's luncheon at school. I found a little
kit to make V. Day cards and thought they'd be just the ticket. Well,
the kit contains a magic marker, ribbon and little pieces of fun
foam--about
2 x 4 inches
with little foam hearts to glue on. Well, when I opened this box the
smell
was so strong
--almost like kerosene or gas.. I can't return them tomorrow...as it is
an
hour away and
we are expecting 6-10 inches of snow too !! So ...what to do?...
I've washed them all separately with plain dish detergent...and white
vinegar rinse and
both 'treatments' have lessoned the odor quite a bit. But anyone have
some
other good ideas????? I need these for Thursday !! No kitty litter here
!!
Fortunately I did buy some glittery pencils and Val. pencils for the girls
and
animal themed pencils for the boys...but sure would like to give these
foam
cards !!
Thanks , Mary

Mary, last week I bought a terribly expensive cushion - something like $89,
no kidding. Before you have to get out the portable oxygen, there was a 70%
off price + my senior discount. Anyhow, the tag read "the strong foam odor
will disappear after airing for 24 hours". It did . . . so maybe yours will
be gone too.
Since you're going to have too much snow to be out searching for
something not on hand, can you:
rinse them with some Borax in the water?
sprinkle them with plain old baking soda over night?
or bag them up with some aquarium charcoal? HTH, and have a
wonderful day with the little ones. No luncheon could be more special than
this one. Polly


"MB" wrote in message
...
This has nothing to do with quilting but hopefully someone here
might have an answer to a little problem. Today I went to Joann's
to find something for 2nd grade kiddies for Valentines' Day as dh and I
were invited for a Grandparent's luncheon at school. I found a little
kit to make V. Day cards and thought they'd be just the ticket. Well,
the kit contains a magic marker, ribbon and little pieces of fun
foam--about
2 x 4 inches
with little foam hearts to glue on. Well, when I opened this box the
smell
was so strong
--almost like kerosene or gas.. I can't return them tomorrow...as it is
an
hour away and
we are expecting 6-10 inches of snow too !! So ...what to do?...
I've washed them all separately with plain dish detergent...and white
vinegar rinse and
both 'treatments' have lessoned the odor quite a bit. But anyone have
some
other good ideas????? I need these for Thursday !! No kitty litter here
!!
Fortunately I did buy some glittery pencils and Val. pencils for the girls
and
animal themed pencils for the boys...but sure would like to give these
foam
cards !!
Thanks , Mary

Kate and Polly..wow that was fast !...I don't think I posted that 10 min.
ago !
and Thank You !!...I just tried stringing them up as the foam pieces have
holes punched in them
---like a mini clothes line ---but they
kept getting clumped together. Guess I'll try my cookie cooling rack next
and let them air out
over night ..then tomorrow try the baking soda . Actually might sprinkle
the b. soda on one
side while the other side is 'airing out'...
At first I'd gone to Family Fun and found a project...making hearts w/
family foam sheets...
and threading them w/ glittery pipe cleaners and then spiraling the p.
cleaners around the
pencils. Here I thought buying a kit would save me troubles !!!...I'll
keep trying .
thanks again...Mary


"Kate G." wrote in message
...
Try dropping them in a baggie with some baking soda... maybe that will
help??

Hope so! Also == leave 'em out in the cold over night. That might also
help ...

Good luck... sounds like a fun afternoon with your grandbaby(ies)

--
Kate in MI
http://community.webshots.com/user/K_Groves


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"MB" wrote in message
...
This has nothing to do with quilting but hopefully someone here
might have an answer to a little problem. Today I went to Joann's
to find something for 2nd grade kiddies for Valentines' Day as dh and I
were invited for a Grandparent's luncheon at school. I found a
little
kit to make V. Day cards and thought they'd be just the ticket. Well,
the kit contains a magic marker, ribbon and little pieces of fun
foam--about
2 x 4 inches
with little foam hearts to glue on. Well, when I opened this box the
smell
was so strong
--almost like kerosene or gas.. I can't return them tomorrow...as it is
an
hour away and
we are expecting 6-10 inches of snow too !! So ...what to do?...
I've washed them all separately with plain dish detergent...and white
vinegar rinse and
both 'treatments' have lessoned the odor quite a bit. But anyone have
some
other good ideas????? I need these for Thursday !! No kitty litter here
!!
Fortunately I did buy some glittery pencils and Val. pencils for the
girls
and
animal themed pencils for the boys...but sure would like to give these
foam
cards !!
Thanks , Mary

MB wrote:
This has nothing to do with quilting but hopefully someone here
might have an answer to a little problem. Today I went to Joann's
to find something for 2nd grade kiddies for Valentines' Day as dh and I
were invited for a Grandparent's luncheon at school. I found a little
kit to make V. Day cards and thought they'd be just the ticket. Well,
the kit contains a magic marker, ribbon and little pieces of fun foam--about
2 x 4 inches
with little foam hearts to glue on. Well, when I opened this box the smell
was so strong
--almost like kerosene or gas.. I can't return them tomorrow...as it is an
hour away and

bizarre, we bought the exact same thing (well there were two choices, so
we may have the other), I literally walked away from doing it with my
son and there was no abnormal smell. Maybe the marker pen leaked, those
things are pretty smelly when you get close to them. I'd leave the box
open somewhere out of the way and see how it smells tomorrow.

Cheers
Anne

Thanks, Anne. I just checked that out...I had smelled the odor on the
outside of the marker but when I opened
the marker it smelled like a regular one--not gas-like. The box was a
clear plastic one...not air tight
so was really surprised to smell it when I opened it--strange that I hadn't
while handling it .
The inside of the box...ribbons and all the foam..and outside of the marker
all .reeked. All is airing out now...Perhaps in two days I'll be able
to use them !!...Just one of life's annoyances ...albeit small !!!
Mary



"
bizarre, we bought the exact same thing (well there were two choices, so
we may have the other), I literally walked away from doing it with my
son and there was no abnormal smell. Maybe the marker pen leaked, those
things are pretty smelly when you get close to them. I'd leave the box
open somewhere out of the way and see how it smells tomorrow.

Cheers
Anne

MB wrote:
This has nothing to do with quilting but hopefully someone here
might have an answer to a little problem. Today I went to Joann's
to find something for 2nd grade kiddies for Valentines' Day as dh and I
were invited for a Grandparent's luncheon at school. I found a little
kit to make V. Day cards and thought they'd be just the ticket. Well,
the kit contains a magic marker, ribbon and little pieces of fun foam--about
2 x 4 inches
with little foam hearts to glue on. Well, when I opened this box the smell
was so strong
--almost like kerosene or gas..
snip

Many plastic products "outgas" when they are new. Like you, I also
really hate the smell. It is a process, and when the process is complete
they won't smell anymore, like a new carpet that smells when it is laid
but gradually the smell goes away. Keeping them sealed in a container
will trap the smell, so it is strongest when you first take the lid off.
You can't speed up the process, so don't bother with the baking
soda/activated charcoal type remedies that work so well when something
is "contaminated" with a smell from some other source, like cigarette
smoke in fabric. Just leave them open to the air so the smell can
dissipate as fast as possible. HTH.

The pieces have aired all night and the smell was in the little foam
rectangles...all
the other pieces that came with the kit lost their odor sooner. They are
much better
today thankfully. Hated the thought of bringing little valentines to gks
class
that are smelly !!...LOL...Thanks to all who helped me !
Mary




"Melanie Rimmer" wrote in message
...
MB wrote:
This has nothing to do with quilting but hopefully someone here
might have an answer to a little problem. Today I went to Joann's
to find something for 2nd grade kiddies for Valentines' Day as dh and I
were invited for a Grandparent's luncheon at school. I found a
little
kit to make V. Day cards and thought they'd be just the ticket. Well,
the kit contains a magic marker, ribbon and little pieces of fun
foam--about
2 x 4 inches
with little foam hearts to glue on. Well, when I opened this box the
smell
was so strong
--almost like kerosene or gas..
snip

Many plastic products "outgas" when they are new. Like you, I also
really hate the smell. It is a process, and when the process is complete
they won't smell anymore, like a new carpet that smells when it is laid
but gradually the smell goes away. Keeping them sealed in a container
will trap the smell, so it is strongest when you first take the lid off.
You can't speed up the process, so don't bother with the baking
soda/activated charcoal type remedies that work so well when something
is "contaminated" with a smell from some other source, like cigarette
smoke in fabric. Just leave them open to the air so the smell can
dissipate as fast as possible. HTH.