How To Get Bad Smell Out Of Leather Products?
Leather goods and products are known to be the epitome of fashion and on top of the food chain when it comes to quality and durability. However, on many occasions, leather goods, especially jackets or waistcoats, give off an unpleasant smell that can even bother you. This happens when the item is new, and it can take a long time for the smell to disappear on its own. In this way, it may be necessary to carry out some measures so that your leather waistcoat in question stops smelling.
We want to explain some tips on how to remove the smell of leather. However, it is essential to note that not all types of leather can be cleaned the same, since depending on how it was treated, we could even damage it. But, first you need to know a few things.
What is leather and how it is obtained
Leather is commonly referred to as "skin" because it is, neither more nor less than the treated and tanned skin of animals. To obtain it, they resort to a specific layer of tissue that covers the meat of animals, which can be very resistant and flexible, so it is usually used primarily for the creation of objects.
Leather types
To remove the smell of leather, first of all, we must know what kind of leather we have in our hands. This distinction can be made according to the type of animal, and according to the tanning process you have experienced. In this second case, which is the most important, we could classify leather in this way:
Synthetic leather: it is an artificial leather created in many industries as an alternative to real leather since synthetic is much cheaper.
Moroccan leather: Moroccan leather has a somewhat stronger smell due to the process used to tan the skin.
Blue leather: it is the most used lately. This type of leather usually has a gray-blue tone and is very resistant to water. So it would not stain or lose color when washed. Also, this type of leather can be dyed another color of our choice at any time in a specialized center.
Patent leather: this is a very natural leather since it is covered with layers of polyurethane varnish, which gives it a touch of shine.
Boiled leather: In this case, the leather is very hard, so it is often used a lot to create resistant artisan objects.
Oiled leather: This type of leather is usually very waterproof, although there are products on the market that help reinforce this characteristic. This type of skin is easily recognizable by passing a nail over it, a lighter color mark remains.
How to Get a Bad Smell out Of Leather?
- Coffee to remove the smell of leather
An easy and simple way is by using coffee. It is vital that they are coffee beans and not ground coffee. Otherwise, we could run the risk of staining the leather article such as men’s leather waistcoat or a jacket. To remove the smell of leather with coffee, we must follow these steps:
- Take a bag and make sure it has no holes or any perforations.
- Place the leather coat in the bag with a handful of coffee.
- Close the bag so that it can't get in or out of the air.
- Shake the bag a little to make sure that the coffee is distributed throughout the clothing.
- After 24 hours, open the bag and take out the leather object.
- Then, let it air for a few hours.
- After this process, both the smell of the leather and the smell of coffee will disappear.
- Remove the smell of leather with dry bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate is one of the most potent natural deodorizers. That is why it is advantageous to eliminate the smell of leather that can give off clothing or accessories made with this material. There are several methods to do it; one of them will consist of putting the leather object inside a cardboard box and cover it with baking soda so that it absorbs the smell. You should leave it closed for about 4 or 5 days and then shake all the baking soda.
- Remove the smell of synthetic leather
When the leather is synthetic, that is, fake or artificial skin, we can wash the product with liquid components. Since the leather should not be damaged. Sometimes, when the synthetic leather is new, it is enough to clean it with your usual detergent so that the bad smell disappears. And, if you suspect that your synthetic garment is delicate or you are afraid to use the above methods, you can also try using a damp cloth of warm water with a little soap and gently run it over the fake leather garment.
- Remove the smell with Water and vinegar
If the leather smell is powerful, you can wipe it with a cloth of warm water mixed with a little vinegar. After doing this, it would be convenient to let the leather ventilate, also to eliminate the smell of vinegar.
We must bear in mind that moisture is the main issue for many types of leather since moisture contains water, this could eventually cause the leather to darken and spoil. For this reason, the best way to eliminate the smell of this type of leather is with coffee or baking soda, as we have explained above.