How to get a smell out of a bag
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I like your way. I think it is a good idea, will try next time when I purchase a bag
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.Just make sure there isn't a chance of rain.
Your experience is interesting.
I just bought two LV speedy 30s and both have an old scent to them, both are Vintage one from 90 other 94.
I have a spray that we've used for my teenage boys soccer cleats/sneakers. It's a disinfectant/deodorizer actually kills MRSA.. Has a lemon scent... I sprayed the bag I'm keeping lightly and placed it over one of my air vents on our floor left it there for ten mins and the smell has lessened.... Will try again tomorrow and then put it out in the sun for a bit.... Hate having to wait... I want to use my bag so bad but I'm waiting on a wallet and purse shaper that will be here in a few days so I will wait and work on removing the vintage scent..... If it works I will post back with the product name.
I have a spray that we've used for my teenage boys soccer cleats/sneakers. It's a disinfectant/deodorizer actually kills MRSA.. Has a lemon scent... I sprayed the bag I'm keeping lightly and placed it over one of my air vents on our floor left it there for ten mins and the smell has lessened.... Will try again tomorrow and then put it out in the sun for a bit.... Hate having to wait... I want to use my bag so bad but I'm waiting on a wallet and purse shaper that will be here in a few days so I will wait and work on removing the vintage scent..... If it works I will post back with the product name.
Get a bunch of boxed bars of strong soap, like Lever 2000, put them in the bag, and let it sit for a day or two. I know it sounds weird, but it works. Unfortunately, if the odor is extremely strong, it may be impossible to remove without professional cleaning. Best of luck!
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?
I am just interested after saw this offer detail thank you Man !
Thank you so very much JennaPer for sharing your story! I've tried everything that FrugalDiva suggested too, to get smells out of a couple suede bags I bought (they were so cheap that I couldn't pass that deal! I was determined to find a way to get the smell out), but I still haven't been able to get that strong smell out...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.
I'm going to try your idea - I've heard about trying the sunshine, but never wanted to leave my bags outside - I didn't want anybody to snag them, either! But, I'm going to use your idea about putting them in a big brown bag and leave it open
I, too, just bought an authentic FP Coach bag on eBay that is no longer avail in FP store or outlets. I love it and it's in fantastic physical shape but, it smells!! It's a combo of a smoke or chemical smell. Can't quite tease it out. I am SO disappointed. My bad for not asking the seller, but I did ask some very specific questions prior to bidding about the condition of the bag and she NEVER mentioned the odor. 
I am going to try the direct sunshine thing. I don't want to have to give this up or resell it - if I did, I would state explicitly in the auction about the smell but I'd rather try to salvage it. I wanted to try the "bag candies" but I don't understand how something places INSIDE of a bag will be able to get the smell out of the leather....(the lining, yes, the leather though?)
Next super sunny, clear day I will be trying this. I feel like I have nothing to lose.
I am going to try the direct sunshine thing. I don't want to have to give this up or resell it - if I did, I would state explicitly in the auction about the smell but I'd rather try to salvage it. I wanted to try the "bag candies" but I don't understand how something places INSIDE of a bag will be able to get the smell out of the leather....(the lining, yes, the leather though?)
Next super sunny, clear day I will be trying this. I feel like I have nothing to lose.
I, too, just bought an authentic FP Coach bag on eBay that is no longer avail in FP store or outlets. I love it and it's in fantastic physical shape but, it smells!! It's a combo of a smoke or chemical smell. Can't quite tease it out. I am SO disappointed. My bad for not asking the seller, but I did ask some very specific questions prior to bidding about the condition of the bag and she NEVER mentioned the odor.
I am going to try the direct sunshine thing. I don't want to have to give this up or resell it - if I did, I would state explicitly in the auction about the smell but I'd rather try to salvage it. I wanted to try the "bag candies" but I don't understand how something places INSIDE of a bag will be able to get the smell out of the leather....(the lining, yes, the leather though?)
Next super sunny, clear day I will be trying this. I feel like I have nothing to lose.
Try putting charcoal inside? Charcoal r known to absorb smell. Of course u need to put the charcoal inside another bag, b4 u put it inside your bag. There is another method I was told....but if u r not from tropical country, u might not able to find the plant which people claimed able to get rid of bad smell.
So this is how I've gotten the vintage smell out of two bags and a keepall. The keepall had a smoker smell.
I went to the dollar store and bought two of the odor trapping containers that were mixed with charcoal pellets. I also picked up at the food store two odor eliminator type jars one was fresh linen and the other lavender. Put the charcoal one along with the scented one zipped up for a few days then alternated the scented. Let sit for a week. The bags have a light laundry sheet smell now. No vintage musty smell whatsoever. Just be patient. I tried the sun thing and it did nothing other than make the smell hot😃.
I went to the dollar store and bought two of the odor trapping containers that were mixed with charcoal pellets. I also picked up at the food store two odor eliminator type jars one was fresh linen and the other lavender. Put the charcoal one along with the scented one zipped up for a few days then alternated the scented. Let sit for a week. The bags have a light laundry sheet smell now. No vintage musty smell whatsoever. Just be patient. I tried the sun thing and it did nothing other than make the smell hot😃.
I have the Free People Vegan Crazyheart tote in Black. It's super cute and one of my favorite bags, but it's man-made leather and it smells like FISH. It might be some weird chemical off-gassing smell from the "leather," and reviews for the bag show I'm not the only one with this problem, but nobody has posted a solution. I've tried leaving it in the freezer overnight, dryer sheets, Febreze, perfumes...NOTHING HAS WORKED. I'm afraid to put it in the sunlight because I don't want it to fade.
I ended up trying everything and finally gave up. Loved the bag but couldn't abide by the smell. I resold it on eBay clearly stating right up front that it smelled like smoke. It still sold quickly.
My word of caution to others would be to grill the seller to be sure there are NO odors if you buy something on eBay. And if you buy knowing the bag has smells, buy only if you're prepared to live with that particular smell.
Yes others have had success getting odors out, but from what I understand, smoke, in particular, can be among the most difficult to remove. Good luck everyone!
I resold it on eBay clearly stating right up front that it smelled like smoke. It still sold quickly. My word of caution to others would be to grill the seller to be sure there are NO odors if you buy something on eBay. And if you buy knowing the bag has smells, buy only if you're prepared to live with that particular smell.
Yes others have had success getting odors out, but from what I understand, smoke, in particular, can be among the most difficult to remove. Good luck everyone!