Neutralise the smell

[tonypaj]

I have an old A-2, from early 1940s. As it fits the best of all A-2s I've ever had, I've decided to wear it to death.

It does not stink, but smells. Like a dude who did not bother to have a shower the morning. None of the stuff in the "Mould" thread work.

Also, there are holes and stuff, but that's no big worry. I just want the jacket to be seen, with the holes and stuff, not smelled...

 

[Fanch]

If all else fails, send it to a dry cleaners who specializes in leather goods. [huh]

 

[tonypaj]

I have one, well, sort of half, option here. Will see them Saturday morning. They've refused things before, that's why I'd like to do something myself. Guys in the UK said no, as well. I guess I'm fighting losing battle...

 

[Sloan1874]

At a first try, I would suggest hanging it up in the garage or if possible out in the sun, and just let fresh air get to it. Quite often, a good airing will do it.
After that, I'd give it a good spraying, inside and out, with Fabreze, and then repeat the garage treatment. If you don't want to send to the drycleaner, another suggestion is to put it in an airtight box with a good shake of bicarbonate of soda, seal the whole thing up for a week, and let the powder absorb the smell.

 

[tonypaj]

At a first try, I would suggest hanging it up in the garage or if possible out in the sun, and just let fresh air get to it. Quite often, a good airing will do it.
After that, I'd give it a good spraying, inside and out, with Fabreze, and then repeat the garage treatment. If you don't want to send to the drycleaner, another suggestion is to put it in an airtight box with a good shake of bicarbonate of soda, seal the whole thing up for a week, and let the powder absorb the smell.

I've tried all but the dry cleaner, and a week in a box (the bicarbonate of soda I tried was just two days). Between these two, where to go? I have time The jacket just smells old. As it is.

 

[sweetfights]

try dryer fabric sheets to remove smells

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Try a clothes peg.

I cant believe you are going to wear out an original Jacket, why!

Lets see some pics at least man before committing such a blasphemous offence!

 

[NoHorse]

I have replied to a similar question here a while ago: buy (on the bay) or rent an ozone generator. Hang the jacket in a closet or small room and let the ozone generator run for a day. CAUTION: concentrated ozone is unhealthy - don't do this in a room that has people in it!! Air out the room when you are done!

Ozone generators are used by hotels to remove odors from rooms - stuff like cigarette or vomit smell. They are also used by auto detailers/refurbishes to get odors out of cars. You can research this on the net: as far as I understand the Ozone oxydises the molecules that make up the odor.

Good luck!

 

[tonypaj]

Try a clothes peg.

I cant believe you are going to wear out an original Jacket, why!

Lets see some pics at least man before committing such a blasphemous offence!

OK, pics will be coming. It's night here... Just the jacket, not me.

The problem is the smell. Not bad, but there.

The reason for wearing it is that I I think it should be worn.

 

[Sloan1874]

I don't have a problem with wearing an original A-2 if it's got enough life in it - they're collectors items not relics.

 

[nick123]

I just bought a vape pen, and I don't even trust that stuff around my jackets. I think you'll want to take yours in to have it professionally (leather expert) de-fumed.

 

[AdeeC]

Buy some activated charcoal granules used for fish tank filters. Pour them in to a muslin bag. Hang bag inside jacket and place the lot in a plastic rubbish bag for a week. Later when hanging in your wardrobe have the muslin bag with charcoal hanging inside the jacket to help stop smells returning along with regular airing. This should freshen up the jacket considerably.

 

[Monitor]

My lady sprayed one of my jackets with the foulest of her perfumes (foulest, because it was the cheapest), to make it stop stinking - and indeed, it was emitting a foul odor - but that further complicated things as the jacket stunk even worse afterwards... But for a while. After I've left it hanging for two weeks on the balcony, be it sun or rain, mist or snow, the jacket lost most of its original cigarettes-and-booze smell, while the perfume didn't seem to lose much hold over the jacket, except in range. Whether or not the perfume had actually removed the other stentch, I cannot claim, but all the many nights the jacket's been hanging from the window, prior to her taking matters into her own hands, did little to help. It's a Schott jacket, btw, my first one. And I am, in a way, glad she did it as it makes me think of her probably more often than I normally would. Wouldn't ever admit this to her, though, as I intend to keep my Vanson jackets odor-free.

All this to say that the balcony method worked very well, whenever a need arose; just that it's a long process and it wouldn't hurt to occasionally wipe the jacket with baby wipes, ones with a pleasant, light smell. They can't harm the jacket and may, slowly, begin replacing - or neutralizing - the odor you're trying to get rid of.

 

[Stanley Doble]

There was a thread a while back by a guy who washes his leather jackets in the washing machine. Says he has done dozens and never did any harm.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Yeah, I heard this Washing machine would do it, I cant disagree, but this is an Original A-2, and its risky business if you ask me with original Jackets, especially ones with holes etc, I have done this with a 1960s Leather U of T Jacket and it worked well, but the finish on the leather was intact and it was in good shape etc, Just had some mold on it.

 

[tonypaj]

Yeah, I heard this Washing machine would do it, I cant disagree, but this is an Original A-2, and its risky business if you ask me with original Jackets, especially ones with holes etc, I have done this with a 1960s Leather U of T Jacket and it worked well, but the finish on the leather was intact and it was in good shape etc, Just had some mold on it.

No washing machine, this thing is fragile. I'll still wear it, though. I'll try some other things suggested, it's just an old jacket that smells old. Like old people

 

[nick123]

Out of the blue my dad came home with a bag of "medical" you know what for his painful ailing knee...whole house smells like a Bob Marley convention...here is my technique to shield the odor from my jackets (note-the jackets in the closet are carefully wrapped in towels as a precaution):

I think I'm the paranoid one lol

 

[tropicalbob]

My lady sprayed one of my jackets with the foulest of her perfumes (foulest, because it was the cheapest), to make it stop stinking - and indeed, it was emitting a foul odor - but that further complicated things as the jacket stunk even worse afterwards... But for a while. After I've left it hanging for two weeks on the balcony, be it sun or rain, mist or snow, the jacket lost most of its original cigarettes-and-booze smell, while the perfume didn't seem to lose much hold over the jacket, except in range. Whether or not the perfume had actually removed the other stentch, I cannot claim, but all the many nights the jacket's been hanging from the window, prior to her taking matters into her own hands, did little to help. It's a Schott jacket, btw, my first one. And I am, in a way, glad she did it as it makes me think of her probably more often than I normally would. Wouldn't ever admit this to her, though, as I intend to keep my Vanson jackets odor-free.

All this to say that the balcony method worked very well, whenever a need arose; just that it's a long process and it wouldn't hurt to occasionally wipe the jacket with baby wipes, ones with a pleasant, light smell. They can't harm the jacket and may, slowly, begin replacing - or neutralizing - the odor you're trying to get rid of.

This deserves its own chapter in the book of odor removal. Cheered up my whole day.

 

[Ralph_Phillips]

I'd grab some ozium spray from an auto parts store and put the jacket in a confined area and spray the air in the confined space and keep it sealed in there for a while. I don't know if ozium gets rid of leather smells but it does get rid of cigarette smells.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

would love to see some pics!