Jorja asked: How do I get rid of cigarette smoke smell from a leather purse? My mother-in-law gave me a beautiful, old leather purse. She is a heavy smoker, and the purse smells like smoke. Is there any way I can get rid of that smell?
Removing
smoke smells from a leather piece can be a little time consuming, but the efforts will yield results. There are several different methods that can be used to remove the odor. Try one or try them all until your piece is smelling fresh again.
You Will Need:
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- Rubbing alcohol
- Milk
- Water
- Dried coffee grounds
- Dryer sheets
- Leather conditioner
- Soft cloths
Methods to Remove the Smoke Smell:
- Mix one part vinegar with one part water. Rub the mixture onto the surface with a soft cloth. Do not saturate the leather. Allow to dry. Repeat until the odor is gone.
- Mix one part rubbing alcohol with one part water. Use a soft cloth to apply the mixture to the surface of the leather. Allow to dry in between applications. Repeat as necessary.
- Dryer sheets have been used to successfully absorb odors. Place several sheets inside of the bag and allow it to set for a few days. Or, place a couple of dryer sheets inside of the bag, and fluff in the dryer (no heat) for a few minutes. For larger items like a couch, lay the dryer sheets on top of the leather or tuck them between the cushions.
- Fill an old nylon stocking with fresh, dry coffee grounds (straight from the can). Place this inside of the purse and allow it to sit until the odor is gone. Coffee grounds absorb odors quickly and effectively. For larger items, set the stocking on or near the leather item.
- Another option is to put the item outside in the fresh air for as long as possible.
- Place an opened box of baking soda into the bag. Remove the top layer of baking soda each day so that fresh, odor-absorbing powder is exposed. Continue until the odor is gone. For larger items, set a bowl or plate of baking soda on or next to the item. Do not apply the baking soda directly onto the leather as it can change the pH of the leather and damage it.
After the Odor is Gone:
- Once the odor is removed, it is time to condition the leather to keep it from drying out and becoming damaged.
- Allow the piece to dry so any products that were used can evaporate. If there is residue, rinse it off with a mild soap and water.
- Next, apply a leather conditioner following the instructions on the manufacturer’s package.
- Rub milk onto the surface and rub with a clean, soft cloth to polish.
Additional Tips and Ideas:
- If the odor in the bag is excessively strong, be prepared to repeat these methods several times. As long as there is improvement, it’s working and should be repeated.
- Vinegar, baking soda, dryer sheets and coffee grounds can also be used to treat suede products. No leather conditioner is needed. There are suede cleaning products available that can be used as well. Brush the suede after cleaning to restore the texture.
- One site user (Thanks!) recommends wiping the leather with a baby wipe every evening to prevent the odor from setting in.
Thanks for the info!
Hi; thanks for the info. I too just got a leather purse from a neighbor who is a heavy smoker. So, I will try what you say.
One question: Wouldn’t the milk go rancid and smell in the leather?
I got a beautiful purse, but it gives me an asthma attack if I go near it. I will try this. Thank you. I have used saddle soap for two days and Febreze; there still faintly.
I know this is going to sound dumb, but we use Scope to freshen our breath so…? I got a leather case for my Galaxy Note 4; I got it from someone who obviously smoked five packs a day. It was so bad, but I just put Scope on a cloth wiped it on the case, let it sit a minute, and then wiped away almost all the smell in one shot. Repeat 2 to 3 times and it should be gone.
I bought a nice purse at ebay, but the smoke smell was gruesome (!). I first washed the bag with saddle soap a couple of times, then with leather cleaner (meant for leather sofas) a lot of times. Then I conditioned the bag several times with conditioner (also meant for leather sofas), and finally I put a lot of paper (newspapers, as a matter of fact) inside. And voila: The smell is gone!
None of the above worked for me.
But I succeeded. What I did: I heated up the article (in my case, a pair of lederhosen.) The idea is to make the tobacco oils vaporize themselves again and depart.
To do this, I put the pants into the oven at the lowest setting (150 degrees) for about an hour and a half. I opened the oven several times along the way to let the newly-evaporated tars and oils escape. At the end, it worked really well. About 95% of the tobacco was gone. And there was no detectable “drying out” effect on the natural oils in the leather at all. If there had been, I would have just applied leather conditioner that I already owned.
I’m posting in the hope that this will help someone.
I bought a leather sofa off someone and it’s stinks excessively of stale smoke. What is the best solution to get rid of it as I have a baby and surely this can’t be healthy?
Neesha,
Normally I would say that the vinegar method is probably the best, but be sure to ventilate the area well as the fumes from the vinegar are probably not safe for a baby. They dissipate as soon as the vinegar dries though, so it won’t take long. There are concerns with each of the other methods as well: baking soda is a fine powder that you don’t want a baby to inhale accidentally (and it would have to sit on the surface for several hours, increasing the likelihood that it gets knocked into the air). Coffee grounds may be the safest, but they deposit a coffee odor in place of the smoke odor; I’m not sure about the health of a coffee odor in regards to a baby. Dryer sheets are full of chemicals; I definitely wouldn’t recommend using that around a baby. If you want to use alcohol, just be sure to wear gloves as a precaution if you are breastfeeding and also ventilate the area well.
I had the same issue when receiving a leather sofa from Craigslist.
I left it in the garage until I could figure out to do. Googling led me to the equal parts of vinegar and water. After removing cushions and vacuuming, I put the vinegar and water in a spray bottle and misted the entire sofa. Didn’t wipe, didn’t drench, didn’t run…just a light mist.
Next day, the odor was not present.
My nose is sentistive; that’s why it stayed in the garage ’til I found a solution, otherwise it was going to the curb. Glad Google came in handy (as usual) and I hope this helps you too.
Best regards.
Hello. I have a question… did you use white vinegar or apple cidar vinegar?
Thanks in advance!
Josie,
She probably used white vinegar. That is the one most commonly used for cleaning leather and for cleaning in general. Apple cider vinegar does not have as low of a pH so it does not clean as well. Also, the color of apple cider vinegar can stain some surfaces. Good luck!
Hi everyone with smoky leather! Yikes it’s a terrifying smell isn’t it? Maybe one of you may be able to help me finish the de-smoking of my leather purse AND leather & suede shoes…I read an article somewhere on here about placing the purse into plastic bag filed with newspaper…which I have done…I did seal the plastic bag filed with newspaper, shoes and purse…now, do I place this bag in the sun? Or not? Suggestions anyone?
Forgot to mention that I actually stuffed every pocket of the crossbody bag with newspaper crumpled up…I placed my shoes underneath the crossbody and newspapers crumpled up under the soles of my shoes, then I just found an article saying NOT to do newspaper because ink can stain the crossbody – unfortunately I cannot retrieve it from the patio (placed in the sunlight for tomorrow) until at least 8 a.m….do you think it’s going to be ink stained?
Marci,
The newspaper tip is from the guide How to Remove Odors from a Plastic Pocketbook. No sunlight is needed. If you end up with any ink transfer on the leather, use the guide How to Remove Ink Stains from Leather. Good luck!
I have an “Anuschka” hand painted leather purse.
I can not allow liquid near it or other cleaners as they may damage the painted pattern on the purse. I have the
“Anuschka” protector spray to protect the leather and paint. It does not remove this odor. Is there anything that could be used ON and IN this painted leather that will not damage the leather and paint, but remove the old cigarette smell? The interior is also a stiff taffeta type fabric. OLD and stiff material. Otherwise clean, but the odor.
Owen,
Here’s a safe and effective way to deodorize items with delicate surfaces:
Get a box that is larger than the item and sprinkle a generous layer of either baking soda or fresh coffee grounds over the bottom. Place a baking rack in the box over the powder and set the purse on the rack. Close up the box and leave it overnight.
To remove the scent from inside the purse, you can either sprinkle baking soda inside and vacuum it out later, or use a sachet. The sachet is the safest option. To make a sachet, fill a sock or piece of cheese cloth with either the baking soda or fresh coffee grounds, tie it up, and place it inside.
This process can be repeated as many times as needed, but you should use fresh powder each time. Activated charcoal is another natural deodorizer that can work; it’s available at most fish supply stores. Good luck!