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Vent: That "vintage mall" spice jar set was a total bust

I got really excited when I found a set of 12 ceramic spice jars from a closed mall gift shop at a flea market last month. They had those cute old school metal tops and a faded logo from a store called "The Pepper Mill" that used to be in the Orange Grove Mall near Tampa. I paid $25 for the whole box thinking they'd be perfect for my kitchen counter. Got them home and scrubbed them clean, but every single one had a weird smell I couldn't get out. I tried soaking them in vinegar for two days straight and even ran them through the dishwasher on the hottest cycle. Now they just smell like vinegar and old dust mixed together. I guess some stuff from dead malls is better left as decoration you don't actually use. Anyone else ever buy something from an old mall and regret trying to make it functional?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellam891mo ago

Yeah I soaked some old jars once and they smelled worse than my gym bag after a cross country run.

samf951mo ago

Did you try baking soda paste or just the vinegar soak? Those ceramic jars can hold onto decades of rancid oil from the old spice blends.