Help! Perfume scent on preloved Lindy!

Jan 9, 2016
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Hello everyone! I recently purchased a preloved Lindy 26 in black Clemence leather, and it’s in great condition except the shoulder strap and handles have a slight perfume scent to it. Ugh! It’s not an offensive smell, but I am sensitive to scents and I could smell it as soon I as opened the package.

I’m wondering if this smell can naturally go away with time? Are there ways to remove the scent from Clemence leather? Has anyone tried? I did a search already on the purseforum and saw that it is difficult to remove perfume scents from leather in general. Please direct me to the right thread if there is an existing one. And lastly, should I return the bag and keep hunting?

Besides that I think the bag is gorgeous, and I’m definitely adding a Lindy 26 in my collection!

Thanks to all in advance!
 
Hubby collects vintage guitars and the cases often come with a smell (mostly a bit fusty, but he insists on having the proper case for each guitar), he tends to put them out into the sun, which does a lot to neutralize the smell and puts open bowls of baking soda in them, or shallow dishes with white vinegar. Since the cases are usually lined in velvet, he can't rub them down with vinegar, and tbh I am not sure how the leather would react. A friend of mine swears on a few drops of fairy liquid in warm water and rubbing down the leather with it and a damp sponge and then gently drying it, she also uses cider vinegar and linseed oil (very high quality) and I am not sure in which mix, to rub down leather. With a bag and the colouring, I am not sure if this would work, maybe best try it carefully on a small bit on the inside? If no discolouring happens (I would give it a few days rest to be sure there is no delayed reaction) it might be the way to go?
She helped me with a bag I bought from a charity shop, the most gorgeous leather but I had lost my sense of smell due to Covid so wasn't aware of the nicotine smell, hubby was complaining about the horrendous stink of cold smoke in the house and like a blood hound found the bag slung over the banister on the 2nd floor and demanded that it would be binned, i was a bit worried about binning a Chloe but figured I rather risk my friend experimenting with her solution than walking around like a stink bomb. The pebbled leather didn't seem to suffer at all.
 
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Hubby collects vintage guitars and the cases often come with a smell (mostly a bit fusty, but he insists on having the proper case for each guitar), he tends to put them out into the sun, which does a lot to neutralize the smell and puts open bowls of baking soda in them, or shallow dishes with white vinegar. Since the cases are usually lined in velvet, he can't rub them down with vinegar, and tbh I am not sure how the leather would react. A friend of mine swears on a few drops of fairy liquid in warm water and rubbing down the leather with it and a damp sponge and then gently drying it, she also uses cider vinegar and linseed oil (very high quality) and I am not sure in which mix, to rub down leather. With a bag and the colouring, I am not sure if this would work, maybe best try it carefully on a small bit on the inside? If no discolouring happens (I would give it a few days rest to be sure there is no delayed reaction) it might be the way to go?
She helped me with a bag I bought from a charity shop, the most gorgeous leather but I had lost my sense of smell due to Covid so wasn't aware of the nicotine smell, hubby was complaining about the horrendous stink of cold smoke in the house and like a blood hound found the bag slung over the banister on the 2nd floor and demanded that it would be binned, i was a bit worried about binning a Chloe but figured I rather risk my friend experimenting with her solution than walking around like a stink bomb. The pebbled leather didn't seem to suffer at all.
I’m so sorry you lost your smell to Covid! I think I will try to sun method obviously making sure not to leave it out there too long or the baking soda. I’m not brave enough to work with liquids on the leather. Thank you for your advice!
 
I have had lots of luck with putting high quality, non-oily coffee beans in cheese cloth and resting them in the bag for a few days. You might consider resting the cheesecloth on top of another cloth. I would suggest that you tuck the strap into the bag as well. The coffee neutralizes the smell of perfume, kind of like when you smell beans at a perfume counter. HTH!
 
I have had lots of luck with putting high quality, non-oily coffee beans in cheese cloth and resting them in the bag for a few days. You might consider resting the cheesecloth on top of another cloth. I would suggest that you tuck the strap into the bag as well. The coffee neutralizes the smell of perfume, kind of like when you smell beans at a perfume counter. HTH!
Thank you for your advice!
 
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I’m so sorry you lost your smell to Covid! I think I will try to sun method obviously making sure not to leave it out there too long or the baking soda. I’m not brave enough to work with liquids on the leather. Thank you for your advice!

It is slowly coming back, unfortunately also my sense of taste, it was much easier to eat less if you couldn't taste a thing
 
Hello everyone! I recently purchased a preloved Lindy 26 in black Clemence leather, and it’s in great condition except the shoulder strap and handles have a slight perfume scent to it. Ugh! It’s not an offensive smell, but I am sensitive to scents and I could smell it as soon I as opened the package.

I’m wondering if this smell can naturally go away with time? Are there ways to remove the scent from Clemence leather? Has anyone tried? I did a search already on the purseforum and saw that it is difficult to remove perfume scents from leather in general. Please direct me to the right thread if there is an existing one. And lastly, should I return the bag and keep hunting?

Besides that I think the bag is gorgeous, and I’m definitely adding a Lindy 26 in my collection!

Thanks to all in advance!
I bought a Dior tote at Saks a few years back. (It was a limited edition hardware combo that I had stupidly not snapped up the first time I saw it.) It was the last piece. When I recovered from the cold I had at the time a couple of days later I noticed a very strong perfume scent. Obviously it was a returned item but by then I had already carried it and really wanted to keep it because there weren't any more anywhere in the US.

I tried _everything_ to get rid of the perfume scent. Read all of the relevant threads on TPF. Tried everything that wasn't destructive to the bag/leather. In the end I consigned it and comforted myself that at least I had spent "fake money" (rewards cards) to buy the bag. But it was stupid expensive and I should have returned it pronto when I noticed the smell.

If you can live with the smell then keep the bag. Else, return it. There is no middle ground from what I have learned.....
 
Not sure where you are located but look into someone removing the odors by use of an ozone machine. I have access to them through our business and removed cigarette smoke from a leather bag about 5 years ago.....it worked. Strict safety procedures to follow though so it’s not for general use. I know Amazon sells small ones (This probably will not work) but I’m talking about the large commercial ones.