Vintage odor removal

[joshua alvarado]

I recently picked up a pair of like new vintage leather boots that have a slight musty odor kind of like what you come across at an army navy surplus. It's not overwhelming and I feel like it's common with vintage items but I'm curious if anyone has any tips or advice on how to get rid of the smells that can be found with vintage footwear and or clothing.

 

[Monitor]

I recently tried leaving smelly old leather sneakers (70's leather Converse high-tops) in the freezer for the night and it actually worked. Well, semi worked. They don't smell as bad anymore. Definitely did something tho I don't know what. I know the idea behind this is that the low temperatures kill bacteria so I dunno if it works on other things like mold. Probably not as mold will survive freezing.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Yessirr! BUT...let's see the boots before you do anything, I mean ANYTHING!

Sometimes these things are better preserved if left un-touched.

They might not be worth wearing, might be worth more to a collector unless we can all see them and determine what you have exactly.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves yet.

but If you must have at it, hopefully this is one good way I know that will work for you if you can't live with the smell (Truth be told My place is saturated in an air of military familiarity, I presume that smell is due to the Mordant in the dye which is mostly Salt but that's Just my own theory.) Mildew Tends to eat the mordant in the dye and when you wash them it will bleed out along with any dirt that is feeding the bacteria.

Give em a nice dose of neatsfoot oil for starters...That should be all you need.

personally my freezer is pretty full of food thankfully and not boots. I'm not planing on doing a charlie chaplin scene from the Goldrush with my boots yet...the cold winter is coming though.

Oxygen, Sunlight and fresh air should suffice given some time.

if oiling them or giving them a light polishing or brushing and light once over doesn't neutralize the salty stale sweat smell, give em' a dose of vinegar...if the leather is not dry rotting and the soles are good..hand Wash em lightly, don't use any hard detergent or you might take a lot of dye out with them too, air Dry, and give them a lot of sun and fresh air and the vinegar kills whatever microbial organisms are lurking, and the smell of the vinegar will disappear eventually when they are completely Dry, Wearing them... Time and sun and air does it.

Lavender. use Lavender, Go nuts with that stuff if you have lot's of vintage clothes, moths hate that stuff and it smells AMAZING!

 

[GHT]

Boot & shoe deodorisers

 

[joshua alvarado]

Boot & shoe deodorisers

I tried Lysol and that didn't do much but "sweeten" the smell. Figured it might need to be more of a neutralizing effect.

 

[joshua alvarado]

Yessirr! BUT...let's see the boots before you do anything, I mean ANYTHING!

Sometimes these things are better preserved if left un-touched.

They might not be worth wearing, might be worth more to a collector unless we can all see them and determine what you have exactly.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves yet.

but If you must have at it, hopefully this is one good way I know that will work for you if you can't live with the smell (Truth be told My place is saturated in an air of military familiarity, I presume that smell is due to the Mordant in the dye which is mostly Salt but that's Just my own theory.) Mildew Tends to eat the mordant in the dye and when you wash them it will bleed out along with any dirt that is feeding the bacteria.

Give em a nice dose of neatsfoot oil for starters...That should be all you need.

personally my freezer is pretty full of food thankfully and not boots. I'm not planing on doing a charlie chaplin scene from the Goldrush with my boots yet...the cold winter is coming though.

Oxygen, Sunlight and fresh air should suffice given some time.

if oiling them or giving them a light polishing or brushing and light once over doesn't neutralize the salty stale sweat smell, give em' a dose of vinegar...if the leather is not dry rotting and the soles are good..hand Wash em lightly, don't use any hard detergent or you might take a lot of dye out with them too, air Dry, and give them a lot of sun and fresh air and the vinegar kills whatever microbial organisms are lurking, and the smell of the vinegar will disappear eventually when they are completely Dry, Wearing them... Time and sun and air does it.

Lavender. use Lavender, Go nuts with that stuff if you have lot's of vintage clothes, moths hate that stuff and it smells AMAZING!

Some good tips here I'm going to try. I think it's more the fabric in the lining than the actual leather as I feel like it's more inside and the canvas type material. I'll snap some pics asap. Thanks!

 

[photo2u]

Hanging them in the sun works for me. Let the air and ozone do the work.

 

[Fanch]

Hanging them in the sun works for me. Let the air and ozone do the work.

Maybe spray Fabreeze on the boots, inside and outside, and leave them outside for a few hours to dry. This also worked well for me with a leather jacket that had a mild musky smell I had bought on eBay a few years ago. For shoes and boots, use cedar shoe/boot trees. If the cedar trees are older, use fine sandpaper on the cedar trees before using.

 

[Bamaboots]

DON'T use Lysol on leather. I have over thirty pair of cowboy boots, some both custom made and quite a few vintage pair. None of the vintage are newer than the 80's. What I've been doing for a long time is using Ivory liquid (it's ph neutral) dishwashing liquid and warm water and wash the boots inside and out with a lint free cloth. After a thorough cleaning I then go back over the boots with a clean rag and warm water to get rid of the soap residue. Dry in the sun and then condition with whatever you use.

I've heard of every thing from stuffing them with newspapers, coffe grounds and assorted things. Just a good cleaning and conditioning works for me.

 

[RMF308]

You might try Natures Miracle (from a pet store). The enzymes in the stuff will eat the bacteria. It worked on my G-1, #199, http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/which-is-your-favorite-g-1.89066/page-10#post-2283572

 

[Bern1]

I have found cedar shavings in a cotton bag or old sock works pretty well for jackets. Don't see why it wouldn't be good for shoes/boots.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Febreeze! Are you trolling me? That stuff is good for nothing. haha except making me puke.

 

[joshua alvarado]

Febreeze! Are you trolling me? That stuff is good for nothing. haha except making me puke.

Agreed. Febreeze always seems to make smells worse. Lol

 

[Bamaboots]

Agreed. Febreeze always seems to make smells worse. Lol

Would you guys send Lady B a note. That s...'s everywhere in the house.

 

[belfastboy]

Febreeze! Are you trolling me? That stuff is good for nothing. haha except making me puke.

Yes, the residual smell it leaves is most often worse than the smell it was designed to eliminate.

 

[Fanch]

Come to think of it, as I recall Mrs. F was the one who suggested Fabreeze and used only a small amount of it on my leather jacket way back when, immediately let dry completely in the sun, and then placed on a hanger in a guest bathroom for several more days until no residual Fabreeze odor was present. Like others here I also hate the odor of Fabreeze. For shoes and boots, my mainstays are cedar shoe trees and boot trees with intermittent sanding of the cedar trees to keep excessive odors and sweat at bay.

 

[Peacoat]

I agree with photo2u above. Try the sun treatment. It is probably a form of mold, and the sun will sometimes work. May be problematic for the places the sun doesn't shine, though.

 

[El Marro]

You might try Natures Miracle (from a pet store). The enzymes in the stuff will eat the bacteria. It worked on my G-1, #199, http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/which-is-your-favorite-g-1.89066/page-10#post-2283572

+1
I once spilled a latte all over the floor mats and carpet in my car. I did my best to clean it up immediately with paper towels and water but the cream had already soaked into the fabric. After a couple days the car began to smell truly awful as the cream from the latte began to curdle.
Fortunately I remembered Natures Miracle, which I had used often before my dog learned to take care of his business in the yard and not on the carpet. One heavy application of Natures Miracle on the floor mats and carpet of the car was all it took to kill the bacteria and neutralize the curdled cream. I highly recommend this product.

 

[Seb Lucas]

White vinegar.

 

[eugenesque]

I know that charcoal is excellent for removing odour from cupboards but not sure if this is the best way for a jacket!