Anyone deal with musty smelling figures?

[jimbutsu]

Just pulled a bunch of my WGSH out of mothballs(*) to put in a display, and to my great chagrin, several are oddly stinky/musty. No visible mold growth or funk or anything, just kind of that combination of old mildewy-ish clothes and aging vinyl. I think some containers were just a little too airtight and tuff needs to breathe. Anyone dealt with this, and what did you do?

(*) - Not literally in mothballs, just stored away. I might have been better off if they had been in mothballs.

[sprytel]

I think I have seen it suggested before that you can throw it in a ziplock or sealed container with a dryer sheet or two... and then leave it for several days.

[generic]

I think I have seen it suggested before that you can throw it in a ziplock or sealed container with a dryer sheet or two... and then leave it for several days.

I second Sprytel's suggestion. I've done the dryer sheet / ziplock bag thing and thrown it in the freezer for a while. It's worked with old, smokey smelling non-sport cards / stickers, Super Powers mini-comics that smelled like an ashtray, and action figures that stank of mildew.

Also, I've found that just leaving toys outside (assuming it's not too hot, too cold, or wet) helps much more than you might think. I have a screen porch, so I can leave stuff outside to air out without worrying about the sun, animals, or curious neighbors, so I realize this isn't an ideal suggestion for everyone. However, it really helped with a particularly stinky lot that I picked up last winter. I'm in Georgia, so it doesn't get TOO cold down here.

[comicmike]

I fully wash any 'ripe' figures (I recently had to get some out of a not-ideal storage area; or whenever I get them from 'the wild'): i use mild Soap and Water,all the way; if required, a bit of Javex on the bodies& accessories, but not the clothes. I dip the bodies and accessories in and out of hot water (careful not too boiling hot to shrink/warp them) then let them drip dry. I wash them inside, even inside the rubber heads, because I want that goodness-kniws-what smell *gone*. Rubbing alcohol can also be helpful. Often, I rinse the bodies and clothes down with Spray ' n Wash pump spray, and turn the costumes inside out to wash them (unless they have their original paper tags inside: I always try to keep those perfect,so I'll wash those costumes from the outside).
If something's too delicate, I have used '(2x) Febreze Air Freshener Heavy Duty Crisp Clean' (that stuff's heavy duty; smells like peach candies, IMO). I have also had good results with cut-up Irish Spring soap sealed with the figures in a bag, over a week or more. The Irish Spring works well with paper, too (I loosely wrapped some shavings in small balls of Kleenex tissue with elastic, so the soap wouldn't actually touch the paper & risk leaving soap-grease marks).
If I get figures from the wild, I clean them as best as I can. Ya just never know (!), I tell myself. Yeah, I'm crazy. I admit it.

[PNGwynne]

Diluted white vinegar is also useful for hand-washing figures and outfits. It has a deodorizing effect. I use about one tablespoon to about a quart of tepid water.

[Capt_Kirk]

I've bought cigarette and mold scented figures on eBay. "Nasty" I soak them for 3 days in thick baking soda and water in a sealed zip lock baggie. Sometimes I have to do it two or three times. It takes out the mold smell and 90% of the cigarette smell but, if it's really bad it won't come all the way out.

[generic]

...It takes out the mold smell and 90% of the cigarette smell but, if it's really bad it won't come all the way out.

You may want to try throwing them in a ziplock bag with a dryer sheet for about a week. I've gotten some pretty horrible smoke smells out with that method.

[Capt_Kirk]

You may want to try throwing them in a ziplock bag with a dryer sheet for about a week. I've gotten some pretty horrible smoke smells out with that method.

presses "like" button if we had one.

[dr_cyclops]

delete please.