How to get a smell out of a bag

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#331
Okay, this is only my 4th post here but when I saw the question, I HAD to post.

I purchased a vintage purse that arrived smelling as if it sat in an old musty mildewed basement for YEARS. There was no visible mold. I would have returned it but I loved the bag so much that I was determined to find a way to rid the bag of the smell.

For months, I tried EVERYTHING:
coffee beans
dryer sheets
filling the bag with newspaper
febreeze
scented satchets
lysol
baking soda

Nothing worked. I read somewhere that sitting the bag in direct sunlight would rid the bag of the smell. So, on the first warm sunny day of spring, I sat the bag on my porch (inside of a big brown box so no one could see what was in it). I propped it open so that the sun could shine inside of the bag and left it there for about 8 hours.

When I got home, I brought the bag inside of the house and smelled it. The smell was GONE!!! So...yeah, I said all of that to say....DIRECT SUNLIGHT. :laugh: Just make sure there isn't a chance of rain.
 
#337
We've had great success using something that will absorb (baking soda, kitty litter, activated charcoal used in aquariums) to pick up the smell and put crushed newspapers (except if the purse is white) into it as well to hold the shape. The newspaper will also help absorb the odor. Gotta be patient and wait a minimum of 5 days (a week is better) to allow the absorbent material to do its work. I don't like replacing the bad smell with another smell (e.g. by using dryer sheets) but sometimes in the case of strong perfume or strong smoke, it is a more acceptable "smell" to have.
 
#338
FrugalDiva said:
Okay, this is only my 4th post here but when I saw the question, I HAD to post.

I purchased a vintage purse that arrived smelling as if it sat in an old musty mildewed basement for YEARS. There was no visible mold. I would have returned it but I loved the bag so much that I was determined to find a way to rid the bag of the smell.

For months, I tried EVERYTHING:
coffee beans
dryer sheets
filling the bag with newspaper
febreeze
scented satchets
lysol
baking soda

Nothing worked. I read somewhere that sitting the bag in direct sunlight would rid the bag of the smell. So, on the first warm sunny day of spring, I sat the bag on my porch (inside of a big brown box so no one could see what was in it). I propped it open so that the sun could shine inside of the bag and left it there for about 8 hours.

When I got home, I brought the bag inside of the house and smelled it. The smell was GONE!!! So...yeah, I said all of that to say....DIRECT SUNLIGHT. :laugh: Just make sure there isn't a chance of rain.
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ITA! I ordered a gorgeous vintage piece in amazing condition inside and out - looked brand new, but definitely did not smell that way. Was very musty/mildewy/old library book smelly. I cleaned it gently and placed it in direct sunlight for a couple of hours at a time over a period of several days. They were dry days with no humidity and a slight breeze. When I brought it in at night, I placed cedar blocks inside and let the ceiling fan blow on it all night. I repeated this process for several days and the smell is completely GONE! I still have it sitting open under the fan, just in case anything resurfaces, but the sunlight worked for me. I have a VERY sensitive nose, and was sure I'd have to sell the bag, but am so excited that I get to keep it now! HTH someone!
 
#341
Also, depending on size of your bag, you can put it in a ziploc and store in freezer overnight. The Ziploc prevents the bag from getting wet while the cold kills most smell, germs, etc.
 
#342
valby said:
I recently bought a vintage LV Alma and I have the feeling it will smell like Mothballs (from some comments others have made about the source of my bag) anyway has anyone been successful with removing this smell from a bag? :idea:
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I like buying vintage LV and sometimes they have this vintage leather smell. I've always use a charcoal or coffee sit inside the purse or baking soda. Let it sit for a week it always works on me. I would also try a febreze sprayed piece of cloth and just put it inside the purse. Never directly spray the febreze into your purse as it could leave a spray water marks :)
 
#343
Air the bag on a nice, sunny afternoon. Put about a tablespoon of baking soda or ground coffee in a plastic zip lock pouch and place it in the bag. Coffee and baking soda are known for their ability to absorb any unpleasant odour. And voila...it should do the trick.
 
#344
I just bought a lovely patent leather Coach diaper bag on Poshmark that I intend to give to my sister in law as a baby shower gift... However, the bag just arrived, and the whole thing was damp and reeks of a strange combination of laundry detergent, mildew,and urine! The bag looks great, but the smell is unbearable. I've hung it up to dry, but the urine smell intensifies as it dries! Any ideas with this one? The seller isn't answering any of my emails, and I do have a message I submitted to Posh customer service... but I do love the bag, and I'd prefer to just make it not stink! LOL
 
#345
You can't really make it sit out in the sun because the urine will dry up. If it's just storage smell or smoke the coffee, charcoal or baking soda might help. I did put a cup of coffee inside my bag and after a week, the bag smell like coffee. I tried baking soda but it didn't work. I didn't try the charcoal. Mayb spray it with febreez
 
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