Coolerdor assistance needed

[scthornton]

I purchased a new 150 Quart Marine Cooler to use as a humidor. I have followed the instructions in the coolerdor thread, but am having a couple issues, one main issue actually and am seeking some advice. I have cleaned it out, filled it with bleach and water, let it sit outside (although it's very cool here, so that may not have helped a whole lot) and I have had it sitting with baking soda for a few days. I have left it with the lid open and lid closed and it still has a slight "plastic/cooler" smell. My guess is this is coming from the lid. When I have it open and stick my head in there and smell, I get nothing, but if I leave it closed for a while, then open it, I get that cooler smell.

My questions are:

1. Is there anything else I can do to speed this up?
2. If I add my beads and spanish cedar, will that help or just mask the issue? I really don't want to add cigars until I know it's ready. I'm going to be out of town for a few days, so was hoping that I might be able to try something weather it's water, soap, beads/cedar or just baking soda.

Any suggestions?

TIA.

 

[bfreebern]

Fill it up w/ boxes and the smell will go away.

 

[Ginseng]

Fill it up w/ boxes and the smell will go away.

Yep.

You cannot make the cooler odorless. That is intrinsic to the polyethylene/polypropylene. Fill it up with as many boxes as you can and you will not notice the smell anymore and neither will it affect your smokes.

Wilkey

 

[scthornton]

Great, thanks for the responses, I needed that reassurance before putting all of my boxes of smokes in there...I don't want to be tasting the nice cedar, cocoa and deep rich flavors of my cigars topped by a nice plastic taste...