# How to get rid of vanilla smell from rubber tropic strap?



## BRN

I just received a Zuludiver Tropic Strap from Watchgecko and I find that the sweet citrus/vanilla smell is making me nauseous. I generally have a low tolerance for synthetic sweet smelling objects and the strap is no different. Upon wearing it I feel like I just walked into Yankee Candle/Bath Body Works.

Is there a proven method to get rid of, or at least lessen the potency of the smell? I read in another thread that submersion in boiling water or salt water does the trick. I did a search and it seems that a lot of people enjoy the smell, which means that I'm in the minority. 

HELP!


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## DaveandStu

G'day mate,
Sweat erodes it fairly quickly..
Dave

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


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## WatchObsession

It is almost a "must have" for some people.

"I want a rubber strap that has the vanilla scent ?"


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## Dan Pierce

Love that vanilla scent and don't find it very strong. Doubt there's a way to remove it vs letting it dissipate over time.
dP


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## MaxIcon

There are a few ways to speed up the scent loss. I have a few of these scented straps that came with watches, but have never worn them, so no first-hand experience.

- Boiling in water or salt water seems low risk
- If that failed, I'd try soaking in alcohol, though that could remove or change the color as well, as well as some of the plasticizers
- A non-liquid approach would be to leave it somewhere warm or hot for a while - heating pad, stereo receiver, bright sun (though that may change the color too)

Soft plastics have plasticizers in them to make them flexible, which usually have a chemical smell, and is likely the reason for the vanilla smell so common on these straps - cover up the chemical smell. Anything that removes the smell will also likely remove some of the plasticizcers, resulting in a strap that gets more brittle over time, maybe cracking.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer

I used to make found art projects that incorporated toys - action figures, Barbies, and such - and the plasticizers in the soft parts caused a lot of trouble with things like glues and markers.


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## ronkatct

Febreze? But I can taste Febreze and hate that stuff.


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## Ginseng108

MaxIcon said:


> There are a few ways to speed up the scent loss. I have a few of these scented straps that came with watches, but have never worn them, so no first-hand experience.
> 
> - Boiling in water or salt water seems low risk
> - If that failed, I'd try soaking in alcohol, though that could remove or change the color as well, as well as some of the plasticizers
> - A non-liquid approach would be to leave it somewhere warm or hot for a while - heating pad, stereo receiver, bright sun (though that may change the color too)
> 
> Soft plastics have plasticizers in them to make them flexible, which usually have a chemical smell, and is likely the reason for the vanilla smell so common on these straps - cover up the chemical smell. Anything that removes the smell will also likely remove some of the plasticizcers, resulting in a strap that gets more brittle over time, maybe cracking.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer
> 
> I used to make found art projects that incorporated toys - action figures, Barbies, and such - and the plasticizers in the soft parts caused a lot of trouble with things like glues and markers.


Almost but some good information anyway.

I used to work as a plastics engineer doing rubber compounding for adhesives, duct tape, etc. and I've worked with natural rubber as well as synthetic rubbers.

If the scent (generally oil-based) is compounded into the rubber (meaning added to molten rubber, then kneaded and processed while hot) then it is in there forever until the compounds eventually dissipate (probably past the life of the part) or break down through oxidation. Soaking the strap in any sort of liquid, either solvent or clear oils may draw out some of the scent at the surface, but will not penetrate. If it does penetrate, the piece will become swollen, distorted, and ultimately destroyed (but not dissolved because it'll have been vulcanized). Tires are vulcanized and sulfur compounds are commonly used for this purpose so natural rubber straps will almost invariably have some sulfur odor. Synthetic rubbers (EPDM, SI) and silicone rubber will not.

So the answer is you may slightly reduce the scent (but potentially damage the strap), become used to it, or decide that you can't and never buy scented natural rubber straps again.


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## BRN

ronkatct said:


> Febreze? But I can taste Febreze and hate that stuff.


I can't stand the smell of Febreze either. I don't understand the people that take that stuff into the bathroom to cover up "their" scent. It just turns into a nasty melange of fruity s#*t smell! lol


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## BRN

MaxIcon said:


> There are a few ways to speed up the scent loss. I have a few of these scented straps that came with watches, but have never worn them, so no first-hand experience.
> 
> - Boiling in water or salt water seems low risk
> - If that failed, I'd try soaking in alcohol, though that could remove or change the color as well, as well as some of the plasticizers
> - A non-liquid approach would be to leave it somewhere warm or hot for a while - heating pad, stereo receiver, bright sun (though that may change the color too)
> 
> Soft plastics have plasticizers in them to make them flexible, which usually have a chemical smell, and is likely the reason for the vanilla smell so common on these straps - cover up the chemical smell. Anything that removes the smell will also likely remove some of the plasticizcers, resulting in a strap that gets more brittle over time, maybe cracking.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer
> 
> I used to make found art projects that incorporated toys - action figures, Barbies, and such - and the plasticizers in the soft parts caused a lot of trouble with things like glues and markers.





Ginseng108 said:


> Almost but some good information anyway.
> 
> I used to work as a plastics engineer doing rubber compounding for adhesives, duct tape, etc. and I've worked with natural rubber as well as synthetic rubbers.
> 
> If the scent (generally oil-based) is compounded into the rubber (meaning added to molten rubber, then kneaded and processed while hot) then it is in there forever until the compounds eventually dissipate (probably past the life of the part) or break down through oxidation. Soaking the strap in any sort of liquid, either solvent or clear oils may draw out some of the scent at the surface, but will not penetrate. If it does penetrate, the piece will become swollen, distorted, and ultimately destroyed (but not dissolved because it'll have been vulcanized). Tires are vulcanized and sulfur compounds are commonly used for this purpose so natural rubber straps will almost invariably have some sulfur odor. Synthetic rubbers (EPDM, SI) and silicone rubber will not.
> 
> So the answer is you may slightly reduce the scent (but potentially damage the strap), become used to it, or decide that you can't and never buy scented natural rubber straps again.


Some good information here. Thank you guys for your input. I will try to soak in water and see if that helps to dissipate the scent. If not then I may just have to give up on the strap and trash it. Sad because it actually looks quite good.

I can't stand the fact that I can't tolerate fruity smells. I remember back in high school when all the girls would wear the green apple perfume from Victoria's Secret. I would be nauseous the whole day.


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## BRN

DaveandStu said:


> G'day mate,
> Sweat erodes it fairly quickly..
> Dave
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


I would run a marathon with it on just to get rid of the smell!


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## Ginseng108

BRN said:


> I remember back in high school when all the girls would wear the green apple perfume from Victoria's Secret. I would be nauseous the whole day.


When I was in HS, Love's Baby Soft was all the rage among the girls. Couldn't get enough of it. That and the sickly sweet smell of Aussie brand shampoo.


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## DaveandStu

BRN said:


> I would run a marathon with it on just to get rid of the smell!


Ha top stuff mate!..ive got a dozen or so isofrane and have found that the sweat running down your arms to wrist from physical yakka,that as you clean up after work it dissipates.
Might be from the hand cleaner I buy which has a lanolin and grit mix...plus the repetition of grind...
Or I'm losing my sense of smell!!
All the best
Dave

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


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## BRN

DaveandStu said:


> Ha top stuff mate!..ive got a dozen or so isofrane and have found that the sweat running down your arms to wrist from physical yakka,that as you clean up after work it dissipates.
> Might be from the hand cleaner I buy which has a lanolin and grit mix...plus the repetition of grind...
> Or I'm losing my sense of smell!!
> All the best
> Dave
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


Well, I did pick this strap up for the hot humid summer months here in coastal New England. Just stepping outside will net you plenty of sweat in this humid environment.

But I may just follow your advice and do some physical yakka (had to look the word up, lol) just so that I may be able to tolerate this damn smelly strap!

Cheers, Dave!


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## DaveandStu

BRN said:


> Well, I did pick this strap up for the hot humid summer months here in coastal New England. Just stepping outside will net you plenty of sweat in this humid environment.
> 
> But I may just follow your advice and do some physical yakka (had to look the word up, lol) just so that I may be able to tolerate this damn smelly strap!
> 
> Cheers, Dave!


All good mate!! They are a brilliant strap with both buckle options..i reckon it will lose it's scent and then work well with your piece.
Have a good one from down under 
Dave

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## Nokie

You can also cover it with baking soda (dry) and let set for a day or so, the clean off.


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## Camguy

That's just "Italian" rubber for you. That vanilla scent is unique to that particular rubber, and can't be removed. It's not an added fragrance, it's part of the formula, of the compound itself. As far as I know, Benetto Cinturini is the only company using it (maybe it's proprietary to them), and Watchgecko uses B.C.'s rubber for its Zulu Diver straps.

They have quite a selection of different types of "rubber" straps (caoutchouc is the only natural rubber), and none of them will have the offending aroma.


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## DaveandStu

G'day Cam, I've had my Isofrane's ( genuine) have that vanilla scent but after wear they now have a rubber smell.
My bonetti's lost their fragrance as well but I only have 3 of them so maybe it was a batch thing?
All the best
Dave

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## HomebrewMTB

I have an 8 year old BC flat vent that I can still smell the vanilla. You should probably sell it and buy a different strap.


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## Camguy

DaveandStu said:


> G'day Cam, I've had my Isofrane's ( genuine) have that vanilla scent but after wear they now have a rubber smell.
> My bonetti's lost their fragrance as well but I only have 3 of them so maybe it was a batch thing?
> All the best
> Dave
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


Isofrane straps are a different rubber compound, isoprene.

"As the compound used for the vintage straps is no longer available, the modern recreation has been made of a new natural rubber compound. Whilst some homage straps have adopted the modern approach of adding a vast dose of vanilla scent to their compound, luckily Isofrane have avoided going overboard on this with just a hint of sweetness apparent. A highly fragrant strap can become tiring day in day out. The new natural rubber compound is identical in feel to the original. It grips and flexes like a vintage Isofrane strap in good condition, duplicating the original's comfort when worn." 
(DeskDivers.com - Isofrane, the Original and the Re-Release)

As I suspected, "Italian rubber" is proprietary to Benetto Cinturini's nitrile straps.

"Nowadays, however, the vulcanised nitrile rubber watch strap is one of the most popular and widely used for high-performance applications. As with any rubber, its performance isn't just determined by its type, be it Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), silicone rubber, polyurethene rubber or PVC rubber. Also important is the specific formulation and processing by manufacturers such as Bonetto Cinturini."
(https://www.watchgecko.com/quality-rubber-straps/)


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## supawabb

you are not going to get rid of the scent. Alcohol, water, febreeze, baking soda = fails. It is in the rubber when the strap is made. I have an ISOfrane from 2011/12 and a watch gecko tropic from July of 2019. neither is showing any signs of the vanilla smell dissipating. They are both worn regularly, so the idea of running a marathon... nope.


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## BRN

Hey all,

I just wanted to follow up and give y'all an update. I did go ahead and soak the strap in water for a full day and have worn it for the past two. Surprisingly the vanilla smell has dissipated somewhat to the point that it's no longer making me nauseous. I don't catch any whiffs of vanilla unless I put my nose very close to it.

I understand that the smell may be there for the life of the strap, but I'm now okay with it. I want to thank you all for your feedback and I'm glad to have learned a thing or two about rubber compounding.

Here's the offensive strap, btw. I really love how it looks and it will serve well during the summer months.


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## Camguy

That _is_ a great-looking strap with that watch. I'm glad it's working out for you.


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## DaveandStu

Camguy said:


> Isofrane straps are a different rubber compound, isoprene.
> 
> "As the compound used for the vintage straps is no longer available, the modern recreation has been made of a new natural rubber compound. Whilst some homage straps have adopted the modern approach of adding a vast dose of vanilla scent to their compound, luckily Isofrane have avoided going overboard on this with just a hint of sweetness apparent. A highly fragrant strap can become tiring day in day out. The new natural rubber compound is identical in feel to the original. It grips and flexes like a vintage Isofrane strap in good condition, duplicating the original's comfort when worn."
> (DeskDivers.com - Isofrane, the Original and the Re-Release)
> 
> As I suspected, "Italian rubber" is proprietary to Benetto Cinturini's nitrile straps.
> 
> "Nowadays, however, the vulcanised nitrile rubber watch strap is one of the most popular and widely used for high-performance applications. As with any rubber, its performance isn't just determined by its type, be it Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), silicone rubber, polyurethene rubber or PVC rubber. Also important is the specific formulation and processing by manufacturers such as Bonetto Cinturini."
> (https://www.watchgecko.com/quality-rubber-straps/)


That nails it mate! Thanks!
I've 2 original rubber straps for my 600 Ploprof's and they have no odour.
I lost the scent in my isos quickly when welding with gloves in 38 c plus and sitting on dozers,excavator and my boats for thousands of hours...bought them years ago..

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## NiceAssets!

BRN said:


> Is there a proven method to get rid of, or at least lessen the potency of the smell? I read in another thread that submersion in boiling water or salt water does the trick. I did a search and it seems that a lot of people enjoy the smell, which means that I'm in the minority.
> 
> HELP!


Great thread and just what I needed. Thanks all. I soaked a vanilla strap in water with a liberal amount of baking soda about 12 hours. Agitated the container a few times. Vast improvement compared to another strap of same make which is going into the solution now. I removed hardware first.

I also find many strong odors like perfume and air freshener fragrances to be unpleasant to the point of headache or respiratory allergy response. It's more common than I had thought.

Can now use these bands I was gifted by another watch fan.


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## Chicawolverina

BRN said:


> I just received a Zuludiver Tropic Strap from Watchgecko and I find that the sweet citrus/vanilla smell is making me nauseous. I generally have a low tolerance for synthetic sweet smelling objects and the strap is no different. Upon wearing it I feel like I just walked into Yankee Candle/Bath Body Works.
> 
> Is there a proven method to get rid of, or at least lessen the potency of the smell? I read in another thread that submersion in boiling water or salt water does the trick. I did a search and it seems that a lot of people enjoy the smell, which means that I'm in the minority.
> 
> HELP!


It sucks doesn't it! I'd take then smell of the rubber any day over the combination of synthetic vanilla odor embedded along with scent too. It won't diminish or is there anything that can be done to help, just like 2,000.00 year old toilets it will still smell like **** even after it turns back into tree sap. ISOfrane et al have really ruined a very nice thing, at least for me! ):


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