Got a vintage coat that came with a few extras. An odor that can kill at 5 paces!

[Evian]

I just got a Barnstorming leather jacket from the 20's but it came with a bonus. It smells of mildrew. The aroma is very strong. I don't know how that huge detail got past the seller. I love the jacket and I want to keep it but I don't want to keep the odor. I heard that leaving it in the sun is a good idea unfortunatetly it is winter in Chicago and I haven't seen the sun in a while. Any suggestions? Will this affect my other jackets if I place it next to them? The odor seems to be coming from the lining. I have applied baby oil to the jacket to keep it soft. I have also sprayed the coat with Lysol. Yes, I used Febreze but nothing helps. The seller offered a partial refund. What can I expect to pay to have it cleaned professionally? Will that kill the odor or the dry cleaner? Anyone gone through this already? I currently have it in my back porch which is unheated.

 

[Miss sofia]

Hey there i just stumbled on this thread, i recently bought a vintage dressing gown, which absolutely reeked. Airing it was the way forward. I left it outside for days, brought it into the utility room at night and banged it out again in the morning, it took days but it sorted the problem. I find airing the best for removing smells of any kind on all clothes and accessories, then washing or dry cleaning if it's possible after. I'm sure the other guys will be able to help you, i'm no expert, that was just some advice my mum gave me, so i stick to it.

 

[apba1166]

++You will never get rid of the smell completely except at expense--though you can lessen it by 90% and live with it. 1) Keep it separate, in light and open air--not dark closets, always out. 2) Buy a spray called Mold Armour--easy to find, at supermarkets and other places--follow directions. Test on leather shell--but it will be fine--and then give the lining a once over and soap after like it says. 3) After it dries, hang outdoors, jacket turned inside-out as much as possible, maybe repeat Mold Armour. 4) Worst case, get the lining removed, wash it, or just replace, and Mold Armour the inside the of the jacket once it's stripped.

 

[captaincaveman1]

Sun does wonders. UV rays kill most of the microorganisms responsible for producing those odors. Course you'll have to wait for a nice sunny day for this to work.

 

[scottyrocks]

I have used a product called Spray-Nine, but never on leather. It is very strong stuff. The company has other products. The one called 'Earth Soap' might be what youre looking for. Heres a link:

http://www.spraynine.com/catalog.pdf

 

[martinsantos]

I always get this problem with cameras leather cases. The odor is terrible - and probably doesn't be a good thing to cameras. This odor is from microorganisms "living" in the leather. Sun is the best cure to it; usually several days.

With the cases usually I aply a wax for leather that clean and helps the leather; I don't know if this is possible with a jacket.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I hand wash all my leather with soap in tepid water - usually does the job. A leather dry cleaning place should help too.

If the leather is fragile you may just have to wait for wind and sunshine to do it.

 

[jb3]

Ozone! Leave jacket in a tent with ozone. It will remove all odors.

 

[Norwayman]

Here´s what I have done several times: Turn the jacket inside out and bury it in the snow. It have to be very cold, -10, -15 C. or colder.
Let it be buried for 1,2 or 3 weeks. Usually the snow will "suck" out all dirt and odor... Good Luck!

 

[Norwayman]

I have done the same with carpets too, they come out clean and fresh smelling. ( and all the dirt is now in the snow..)

 

[leftyleblue]

hampster shavings, cedar chip base, cardboard box, 1 week. works great on mildew smell.

 

[kampkatz]

Norwayman's solution sounds a bit unconventional, but if it works, and the weather cooperates(and you are adventurous) why not give it a try?

 

[Philalethes]

Here´s what I have done several times: Turn the jacket inside out and bury it in the snow. It have to be very cold, -10, -15 C. or colder.
Let it be buried for 1,2 or 3 weeks. Usually the snow will "suck" out all dirt and odor... Good Luck!

That is a highly entertaining method for getting rid of odors!

 

[subject101]

I have done the same with carpets too, they come out clean and fresh smelling. ( and all the dirt is now in the snow..)

Do you bury your carpets man?

 

[Norwayman]

He-he, maybe rugs are more the right word - I didnt mean wall to wall carpets... Lay it flat upside down in new snow, and shuffle more on top - after a few cold days pick it up and beat the snow off the rug - you will see
the dirt is transferred to the snow. The Bonus is very fresh smell + no cleaning cost....
This metod is common here in wintertime for dirty smoke smelling rugs. (It works for jacket odors too..)

 

[Elmonteman]

I recently purchased a leather jacket that smells mildewy so I purchased a product that has some pretty good reviews, Nok Out. Here's the website: http://www.nokout.com/ Unfortunately I haven't had time to give it a try. Hopefully will get around to it soon and report back.