Can we talk about the weird smell of old electronics?

I was cleaning the dust out of my 1995 Packard Bell desktop and my roommate walked in and said 'that smells like my grandpa's basement'. It's that warm plastic and ozone scent, right? What's the best way to clean old gear without making that smell worse?

3 comments

3 Comments

iris_green843mo ago

That grandpa's basement smell is basically the plastic breaking down over time. Heat makes it worse, so maybe avoid harsh cleaners that heat up the components. A soft brush and some isopropyl alcohol on the stubborn spots works without cooking the old plastic. The smell might never fully go away, it's part of the charm now.

kai3273mo ago

Ever get a whiff of that smell and it just hits you with a wave of memories? You're totally right about it being part of the charm. I've got an old console that still smells like my uncle's house, and cleaning it felt wrong somehow. That plastic breakdown smell is the history you can't wipe away.

mason2831mo ago

Hold up, you really kept the filth on purpose? That's wild to me. I mean, I get it, nostalgia is powerful, but uncle's house smell is just old dust and farts trapped in foam. Clean that thing off and make new memories, that plastic breakdown junk is just gonna get worse and brittle.