If you are elegantly dressed, have good perfume and stylish shoes, then a leatherette bag that smells of fish, PVC and other chemicals is unlikely to fit into your look. Such “fragrances” can not only spoil the opinion of you, but also cause various ailments, such as headaches, among others. Is it possible to somehow cope with the smell of a leatherette product, or will I have to give up my favorite accessory? Let's try to figure it out.
Getting rid of the smell of a leatherette bag or backpack
The odors of leatherette products can be either initial or acquired. The latter arise during use: you wore something strongly odorous, you spilled it, your pets contributed, in general, it’s your own fault. But the initial smell is the responsibility of the manufacturer.
Important! Of course, any thing has its own smell, including leatherette products. But bags made from high-quality raw materials do not smell much. A mild smell can be removed by simply airing it out or waiting for it to go away.
You can cope with both initial and acquired odors, and without much difficulty and at home.
Available means
Every home has salt, soda, bread, onions, vinegar, vodka, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, potassium permanganate, and activated carbon. All of these products can be used to remove odor.
Salt
Salt absorbs odors well. Take a larger amount of it and moisten it with a little water to make a non-liquid paste. Apply this paste to the surface and leave overnight. In the morning, simply shake off the salt from the product. If the smell has not completely gone away, you can repeat the procedure again.
Activated carbon can be used in the same way. Only in this case the bag needs to be wrapped in gauze, and there is no need to make a paste, just sprinkle the gauze with activated carbon powder. Of course, charcoal cannot be used for bags of light colors.
Important! To remove odor, you need to use fine salt, as coarse salt can scratch the material.
Soda
Also a very simple and reliable method. Take some kind of tightly closing container that your bag can easily fit in. Place the product there and cover it with baking soda, sparingly. Close and leave for five to seven days. After this time, take out the bag, shake it off and hang it on the balcony to air for two days. After this procedure, the smell should completely disappear.
Important! You can only sprinkle baking soda on a completely dry bag. If it is even the slightest bit damp, be sure to dry it thoroughly.
Bread crusts
Rye bread absorbs odors well. Place bread crusts inside your bag, including all pockets, and leave for several days. This method is good if the smell of leatherette is not too strong.
Onion
Paradoxically, the smell of onions can relieve you of the “aroma” of leatherette. Cut the onion at random - either into rings or small cubes, as you prefer. Place on a saucer or small plate.
Cover with something with holes to let the smell pass. A colander or sieve will do just fine. Place the bag on top, close and leave for a day. Then send her to get some air.
Vinegar and vodka
You can try to get rid of the smell with vinegar or vodka. To do this, vodka is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1, and vinegar - 1:5. Wet a cotton swab or disk and carefully and thoroughly wipe the surface of the product. Be careful if you have a light-colored bag.
Potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide and iodine
A solution of potassium permanganate copes even with very strong odors. Make a pale pink solution and wipe the bag with it, as in the previous recipe.
For greater effect, you can add peroxide to the potassium permanganate solution. To do this, take a glass of a weak solution of potassium permanganate (only two crystals are enough), add three teaspoons of three percent hydrogen peroxide to it, stir and wipe the product.
Dissolve 15 drops of iodine in a liter of water and wipe the product with the resulting solution.
Important! This method is definitely not suitable for light-colored bags. And on others, these solutions can leave stains. Therefore, first wet some inconspicuous area of the bag and wait until it dries. If there are no stains, you can use it.
Flavors
Fragrances will help you eliminate the slight odor both outside and inside the bag.
Sachet
You can use ready-made sachets, or you can make them yourself - it's not difficult at all. Sew small fabric bags.
It is preferable to use linen for these purposes, but gauze folded in several layers can also be used. Place a piece of cotton wool in a bag and add two to three drops of your favorite essential oil. Citrus scents are best suited to combat the smell of leatherette. Tie the bag tightly and the sachet is ready. Place it inside your bag.
Lemon
You can use lemon to eliminate unpleasant odors. Lemon juice diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3 is wiped similarly to the methods described above with vinegar and vodka.
Lemon peels can be placed in homemade sachets. You can also wipe the outside of the bag with lemon peels (the white part). By the way, this method is also applicable for light-colored bags.
Coffee
For bags with dark lining, you can try to eliminate the unpleasant odor with coffee. For these purposes, you only need ground coffee. Pour it inside the product and leave it overnight, and shake it out thoroughly in the morning.
Washing and weathering
If the manufacturer has indicated that it can be washed, feel free to wash it only by strictly following all washing instructions. Just remember to turn the bag inside out and put it in a special bag; it is also better to use gel rather than powder.
If it is indicated that the product cannot be washed, but you definitely want to do it, use a soap solution with ammonia. For a liter of water, take a tablespoon of liquid soap, whisk until foam forms, add a tablespoon of ammonia, and mix. Wash the bag with the resulting solution and dry thoroughly.
If the smell is not very strong, then simple airing will help to cope with it. Hang your bag on the balcony for a few days. This method works especially well in cool and windy weather.But do not forget that leatherette does not tolerate severe frosts.
Important! When using the aromatization method, remember the compatibility of flavors. If the smell of the leatherette your bag is made from is too strong and chemical, mixing it with fragrances can make it even sickening.
Important nuances when removing odor
When removing the smell from a leatherette bag, follow the mandatory rules:
- study the manufacturer’s information regarding washing and cleaning the product;
- when choosing a method of combating odor, take into account its intensity;
- choose a method taking into account the color of your bag and its lining;
- Try the cleaner first on an inconspicuous area of the surface.
And, as always, it is better to prevent a problem than to fight it later. Therefore, buy only high-quality items, and when purchasing, not only check the quality of the product, but also... smell it. If the smell is very strong, decide for yourself - do you really need this particular bag?
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