Aus Post Pre Paid Satchels Leaving Clothing with Chemical Smell

[rubysplace]

Over the last 6 months I have had numerous buyers contacting me with complaints that when they open the satchel a really strong unpleasant chemical smell from the bag that has transferred over to the item of clothing. I have been asking buyers to smell the bag on its own and they said it was definitely coming from the bag. I investigated the area where the clothing is being kept but as they are all kept in different areas of my house, wardrobe, under bed, in draws in different rooms I do not believe it's originating from my home, 

I have smelt a fresh new satchel and there is an unpleasant smell but I wouldn't say it was really strong. Is it possible that during the delivery process the satchels are being subjected to hot conditions causing the satchels to slightly melt and transferring this smell onto material?

Has anyone ever had this type of issue?

[eol-products]

They use a release agent when making plastic and maybe the heat when transporting in trucks causes it to transfer to the clothing. Try one at  home and just leave it in the sun for a few hours. To eliminate you could try wiping the bags out and see if that works. There are plenty of natural cleaners on the market.

If this does not work I have seen many new clothing items come from the manufacturer in sealed plastic bags so maybe buy food grade bags and seal them in that before placing into a satchel.

[lyndal1838]

This problem regularly appears on the boards during the summer months.

It is definitely the prepaid satchels at fault.....to put it bluntly, they stink when the temperature gets very high in the back of a truck or van.   Most vans have the cabins airconditioned and when you open the cargo door the smell nearly knocks you over.

If it is a real problem I suggest you give the AP satchels a miss and use some other form of plastic bag for protection and then use brown paper or the AP Tuff bags if they are still available

[eol-products]

Makes me think of that new car smell, which nowdays most cars being a high percentage of plastic inside can't be good for your health. Best to keep the aircon cold to stop the plastic getting hot and only drive on cloudy days or in winter till the chemicals wear off.

With more and more young people driving new cars would not be surprised if it is the new health issue in years to come. Makes you wonder why pet dogs like to stick their head out the window while driving.

[brerrabbit585]

Cars are sprayed with a flame retardant and that's what you can smell. It's carcinogenic so I wouldn't have a new car if you gave it to me!

As for satchels, I always seal everything in a plastic bag inside the satchel.  That should eliminate the problem, or a lot of it.

[eol-products]

Cars are full of glues unlike the old cars that where screwed together.

Any food grade bag that is airtight should work. Ziplock bags would work if you get them cheap enough.