Smelly Pokémon cards: smoke, damp, how to get rid of the smell?

You pick up a lot of second-hand cards, or dig out an old binder, and a smell of smoke, must or damp comes off them. It is very common, and often reversible: a smell usually comes from a film on the surface or from moisture absorbed by the cardboard. Here is how to reduce it without putting your cards at risk.

Where does the smell come from?

• Tobacco smoke: it leaves a slightly greasy film on the surface and soaks into the cardboard.
• Damp and mustiness: basement, attic, a cardboard box closed for years. The cardboard absorbs the moisture and the smell that comes with it.
• The original storage: old binders, boxes or sleeves that smell themselves.
• Fresh ink: a slight smell when opening a booster is normal and fades on its own.

Step 1: take the cards out and air them

Take the cards out of their box, binder or sleeves: the container often holds the smell longer than the cards do. Lay them flat and spread out in a dry, temperate, ventilated room, away from direct sunlight. Leave them for several days, turning them over from time to time.

This is the most important step, and often the only one needed for a musty smell.

Step 2: remove the surface film

A smoke smell largely comes from the film on the card. Once the cards are fully dry, spray a little cleaning spray onto a microfibre cloth, never directly onto the card, and wipe the front and back with small movements, without pressing. For the edges, a barely damp fine-tip cotton swab is more precise.

On holo cards, this film also dulls the surface: see dull holo card: why has it lost its shine?.

Step 3: an odour absorber, without contact

For a stubborn smell, put the cards (in clean sleeves) in a closed box with an odour absorber next to them, in a separate container: baking soda or activated charcoal, for example. The absorber must never touch the cards. Leave it for a few days, then check.

What about mould?

If the smell comes with blurry, greyish or black stains, the card may have developed mould. Isolate it from the rest of the collection straight away, let it dry flat in a dry room, then gently clean the surface. Stains embedded in the cardboard will remain, though. See also wet Pokémon card: what should you do? and black spots on a Pokémon card: dirt or print defect?.

Mistakes to avoid

• Spraying perfume or air freshener: it leaves a deposit on the surface and can stain.
• Using scented or disinfectant wipes: they wet the card and leave residue.
• Putting the cards in the sun to "freshen" them: light fades the colours and heat makes them warp.
• Letting baking soda or charcoal touch the cards: the dust scratches and marks the surface.
• Putting the cards back in their old box: it keeps the smell.

Stopping the smell from coming back

Store your cards in a dry, temperate room, away from smokers, basements and attics, in clean protection. For a valuable collection, humidity-controlled storage makes a real difference: the improved version of the flattening kit includes a humidor. All our tips are in the guide how to store Pokémon cards.

Conclusion

A smell on Pokémon cards is mostly solved with patience: airing them out somewhere dry, gently removing the surface film, and possibly letting an absorber work without contact. Avoid anything that adds moisture or residue. The complete pack includes the spray, the gel and the accessories to make your cards look their best afterwards.

FAQ

How do you get the smoke smell out of Pokémon cards?

Air the cards out, spread out and somewhere dry, for several days, then remove the surface film with cleaning spray on a microfibre cloth. For a stubborn smell, leave them in a closed box with an odour absorber next to them, without contact.

Can you put baking soda on Pokémon cards?

Not directly. Put it in a separate container next to the sleeved cards: the powder scratches and marks the surface on contact.

Why do my Pokémon cards smell musty?

Because the cardboard has absorbed the moisture and smell of where they were stored, often a basement, attic or a box that stayed closed for a long time.

Does a smell lower a card's value?

It is not graded as such, but the smoke film or humidity stains that come with it can count as surface defects, and a smell puts buyers off.