How to Remove Odor & Bad Smells from Leather Bags

Chamberlain’s leather milk is a milky, water-based leather conditioner. Use this product to clean and refresh leather bags, boots, shoes, luggage and apparel.

Getting Rid of Water Stains

Use solutions with neutral pH and cleaners that do not contain alcohol or abrasives that can damage or discolor leather. Lexie Sachs is the executive director of the Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she has been reviewing travel bags for over 10 years.

This allows the leather to fully absorb the nourishing ingredients. Improper Manufacturing – Improper manufacturing processes or cheap materials can cause your new leather bag to smell off. Chemicals or other substances are often used as cheap alternatives compared to tanning oils by some unethical manufacturers to soften leather bags. Before you start with the odor-removing process, you should acquaint yourself with the main causes of bad smells in leather bags.

Method 5: Use a Leather Deodorizer

Ensure the leather bag is open for proper odor removal and the plastic bag is air-tight. If the smell is coming from the leather surface or exterior of the bag, it may be caused by mildew, improper manufacturing, unfiltered oil tanning, or decomposing leather. Before eliminating odors from your leather bag, you should determine where the smell is coming from in the first place. Tanning Oils – Fish oils are suitable for tanning leather but only if they are filtered.

Read more about leather crossbody bag here.

Just make sure that you hang it in a well-ventilated area without anything around that could press against it. Make sure that the bag receives no direct sunlight, as that will not aid to solving the issue at hand. If you got yourself everything you need, let’s cover those four steps one at a time to get the best results. It usually starts out with a few creases that lead to cracks which can really compromise the appearance and functionality of the bag. This may be a weekender, but we found it was able to fit more than just a couple days worth of clothing and accessories during our tests.

Some companies offer to color match for you, or you may need to mix different colors to achieve your desired shade. Take the time to get this step right, and always test the polish in an inconspicuous area to preview the result before polishing a larger section. In some cases, trace elements in your water could cause discoloration in leather products. Use distilled water when cleaning to prevent this from happening. In some cases, you may be able to get some additional length out of the leather by pulling in it firmly to stretch it out while it’s still wet.Be careful when stretching the leather. There’s no guarantee it won’t rip, and if it does it won’t be easy or cheap to fix. This gentle soap is relatively easy on leather, which can be damaged by soaps that are more abrasive.

Continue moving the hair dryer over the bag until all the wrinkles are gone. As you work on the bag, rub the soft cloth over any area you work on to smoothen it. I like to pair them with various clothing styles; a smart suit, a dress, or denim.