Usually, the chemical smell in faux leather items is going to disappear within a period of three to five weeks after manufacturing, but sometimes, if the manufacturers are not careful enough, they are going to use more chemicals and low quality faux leather fabrics, these are totally okay to use, but they tend to be very smelly because they have not been treated with the right chemicals long enough.
Getting rid of the chemical smell in faux leather is a bit tricky and totally different from the process you would use for getting rid of the smell of real leather, but I’m going to share with you some amazing techniques that will not only work quickly for you, but will also give your faux leather items a great shine and look to them.
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The first way to get rid of the chemical smell in your faux leather items is by using odor eaters.
Odor eaters are amazing, they are going to simply absorb the excess smells very quickly and efficiently, what I really love about odor eaters is that they can be used for every “smelly” material!
They are also very cheap, they are made out of charcoal, and available in most stores.
Indeed, some of the most simple techniques can be really the best, and this is true when dealing with bad smells in your faux leather items, I don’t want you to use lots of chemicals to wash them or to rinse them over and over, I want you to start with the most simple techniques, indeed, they are the ones that are not going to require a lot of money from you and most importantly, they will not damage your faux leather items, of course, I’m going to share with you later on in this post other powerful techniques to get rid of the chemical smell from your faux leather items.
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Here is how you apply odor eaters to get rid of the chemical smell in faux leather:
Take a plastic bag, according to the size of your faux leather item, and fill it with odor eaters, it all depends on the faux leather item you want to treat, if it is a large one, like a jacket, use at least four odor eaters, however if it is a small one, use just one odor eater, then lay your faux leather item and cover it with odor eaters.
Next, close the plastic bag tightly and leave it in a dark place for two weeks.
I know that two weeks are going to sound like a lot of time, but the reality is that it is necessary to totally let the odor eaters absorb the chemical smells completely.
The next technique to get rid of the chemical smells, and only use this one if they are not that strong, is to apply vinegar.
Vinegar is also amazing at getting rid of nasty smells, what I like about vinegar is that it is very affordable and also available in most homes.
However, don’t apply fancy vinegars, like balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar!
These are not only useless and a waste of time and resources, but they are also going to stain your faux leather products and items.
The best kind of vinegar to use to disinfect and get rid of the chemical smells in faux leather is white vinegar.
Mix one glass of white vinegar with two glasses of warm water, then take a dry cloth and wipe the inside and outside of your faux leather item, if the inside is not accessible, don’t do it, just wipe the outside thoroughly.
Usually it will take you more than two tries to get rid of the faux leather chemical smell completely.
These are the best advices and techniques you can apply to getting rid of the chemical smells in faux leather items.
Ricky Locklear says
This doesn’t apply to the smell but my son has a “letterman” jacket. The construction is wool on the body and plastic (faux leather) on the sleeves. The sleeves have become tacky with some sort of residue. The jacket has not been stored in the heat. Please help as a lot of memories and Mardi Gras parades have been endured by this jacket and band mom & dad!
Jean-Marc Chateigner says
Don’t worry, your son’s jacket can still be saved! Don’t use water to clean it, instead, use this amazing upholstery cleaner: http://fauxleatherguide.com/Upholstery-Cleaner
Diana Lantow says
Some plastics (faux leathers) start to disintegrate after a period of time. I had a famous maker high quality shoe that had rubber/something /composite heels. After 1 year the heel wedge became tacky, and crumbled off in chunks. The shoe company took them back as many people had complained. Good luck!
Jean-Marc Chateigner says
Thanks 🙂
Marta DR says
Can I use either of the options you provided on shoes? I got a pair of black heels that i absolutely love but the chemical smell is pretty strong. They were made in China and there is actually a sticker that says something towards the smell that the shoes should not be licked or mouth – can cause reproductive problems, i cant remember exactly. This is super crazy i thought – never seen anything like this before. but since i dont plan on eating them i figure as long as i can get rid of the smell it should be fine. What do you recommend i do?
Thanks in advance for your help!!
Jean-Marc Chateigner says
why don’t you get rid of them instead, I hate Chinese faux leather!! Most of it is cheaply made and can be very dangerous for your health, anyway, yes, you can use these options, just don’t wear these shoes for too long, the nasty stuff can be absorbed by your skin and pass into your system.
Marta DR says
Yikes!!! I can? Well thats scary. Maybe ill send them back then. Thanks
David whitaker says
I ordered shoes from China
I wrapped them in newspaper after swabbing them thoroughly with wipes
It has been a year and they are so toxic that it is like breathing dangerous paint fumes
Jean-Marc Chateigner says
So sorry to read this, please, try some of the nethods in this post, they’ll help you a lot.
Shafik says
Hi, I bought an XXXL beanbag – material Faux Leather, it has a very strong chemical gasses smell and as soon as we used it for the first time our skin become itchy. Not sure is there any advise? Do you thing such beanbags are risky for kids? Is it possible to get red of the chemical gases smell and the leather become safe for the kids to use? Many thanks
Jean-Marc Chateigner says
Yes, I think it can be quite bad for your health, my advice is to leave it in an open air area, don’t use it, the smell is caused by mineral and petroleum oils and chemicals used in manufacturing, it’s definitely a mediocre quality faux leather fabric, but when the smell disappear, it will be ok to use it again.
Razanne Shqeirat says
Hi!
I got this embroidery wallet from turkey and it smells like chemicals all the way. The inside is faux leather. Is there a way I can remove the smell without ruining the design?
Jean-Marc Chateigner says
So, put it in a plastic bag with two odor eaters for three weeks, in a dark place, it will do the trick.
Jamie Beamon says
I just bought a pair of faux leather brown boots and they smell of rotten fish so bad! I tried using vinegar to get the smell out and baking soda but it’s just not working. Should I try one more time or try rubbing alcohol? I did it both inside and out and its horrible! Please help
John Elscey says
I bought a brand new faux leather coat and when I opened the bag it stank of fish. I tried hanging it out for weeks and I could still smell it, how do I get rid of the smell?
Joanne says
We know now, inhaling chemicals, cause autoimmune diseases and cancers.
We have no government protection against all the things sold with gassing off chemicals, including new cars.
Terri McCauey says
I just made a wool and faux leather tote bag. Came out beautiful but now it smells. I tried the white vinegar and airing outside on clothes line. Smell is still there. Darn it! Any other ideas, thanks.
Kenneth Eslinger says
do these techniques work with polyurethane as well?