3 Tips For Getting Bad Smells Out Of Leather

When we love a piece of clothing, especially a leather jacket, it is typical to wear it on repeat, no matter the weather or situation. But constant wear can lead to smells you don’t want sitting in your leather jacket.

At Hidepark we want to ensure that you can wear and enjoy your jacket at all times, with no unpleasant smells lingering around. Our top three tips for getting smells out of leather jackets have been tried and proven, helping you to keep your leather jacket looking and smelling just like new.

How to Clean a Leather Jacket That Smells

1. Air It Out

Leather has a distinct smell that is unparalleled, but it can be affected by other unpleasant odours such as body odour, moisture and mustiness. Getting the musty smell out of leather can be helped by airing out the garment.

Just as your washing smells better when air dried out on the washing line, fresh air makes everything smell better. 

Check that the weather outside is dry before hanging your jacket out for at least half an hour, allowing the fresh air to work out those stubborn odours.

2. A Vinegar Spritz

One strong scent helps to cancel out the other, which is why vinegar is a great odour solution for leather.

Dilute white vinegar with water in a spray bottle, and lightly mist your leather jacket all over, inside and out. Once done hang the leather jacket up to dry, letting the last of the odour blow away.

With a Vinegar Spritz, you may want to use a leather conditioner once dry, helping to maintain the texture of the leather while reintroducing that lovely leather smell.

3. Bicarbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of soda is a great cleaning agent, used to remove stains and odours daily in the kitchen, so why not use it to remove odours in your leather jacket?

There are two ways you can use Bicarb to remove odours from your jacket.

First, try sprinkling the dry bicarbonate of soda over the leather, focusing on areas like the armpits that may more strongly hold unpleasant smells. Leave this to sit for half an hour before gently wiping the bicarb off. This should diminish the odour and bring back that natural leather scent we know and love.

If the first method doesn’t work, or there’s still a lingering smell, it’s time for method two.

As before you need to sprinkle your bicarbonate of soda onto your leather jacket, but this time take a spray bottle of water and lightly spritz over it with water, but do not drench it. Leave this to dry for fifteen minutes before wiping it off with a clean, damp cloth. Finally, hang to dry.

Discover Odour Free Leather Jackets with Hidepark

Leather is a wardrobe staple, but not putting it in the washing machine doesn’t mean it has to smell. As well as the above-mentioned tips for erasing odours, leather soap and conditioner can be helpful for regular leather jacket care.