Remove Smoke Smell From Leather?

MannyE

Exterminate!
I have two MacMurray of California leather bomber jackets. They are Warner Brothers jackets that have Bugs on the back with one foot on an airplane:

This isn't me, but this is the jacket.

Vintage-Macmurray-of-Los-Angeles-Leather-Bomber-Jacket.jpg


The leather is not smooth and not quite suede. It has a kind of fuzzy quality and is very soft. As you wear it, spots will become less fuzzy.

The problem is they spent a few years hanging in my mother-in law's closet and her two pack a day smoking habit has imbued them with a nasty reek of stale smoke. They have been outside in the Florida room for two weeks now and I still get a blast of nasty smoke smell when go outside.

Any ideas how to get rid of the smell without destroying the jackets?
 
I looked into this a couple of years ago. The problem was mostly solved by putting it in the dryer with a whole bunch of of those dryer sheets, but monitor it -- use a lower temperature, and don't let it run too long, just enough so that the leather gets warm and softens slightly. At least it worked for me, and it might be worth a try.
 
I looked into this a couple of years ago. The problem was mostly solved by putting it in the dryer with a whole bunch of of those dryer sheets, but monitor it so that it doesn't run too long -- use a lower temperature, and don't let it run too long, just enough so that the leather gets warm and softens slightly. At least it worked for me, and it might be worth a try.

This is what I am reading on the Harley Davidson forum as well. The only thing I worry about is that it will get ruined because it's not that thick rugged MC jacket leather but rather soft newbuck (spelling?) kind of leather.
 
Get one of those zip up hanger bags and seal em in with a few of those cedar closet blocks.
 
Go on amazon or the likes and look for smoke eliminator bombs .Car dealerships use them for vehicles to make used cars smoke free.Kill two birds with one stone and do a car and drape the jackets over the seats.
 
Perhaps go to a place that specializes in leather apparel and ask them rather than asking an audio forum? Just saying; I know I won't ask here what type of rear tire I should run on my motorcycle.
 
This is what I am reading on the Harley Davidson forum as well. The only thing I worry about is that it will get ruined because it's not that thick rugged MC jacket leather but rather soft newbuck (spelling?) kind of leather.

Well, if you wore it out in the sun and it got really hot, that wouldn't necessarily ruin it, I wouldn't think. Some heat alone should not ruin it.

What will ruin it is getting it much too hot when it's already wet -- like if you put a wet leather coat next to a radiator for too long.

Low temperature, a whole lot of dryer sheets, maybe a slightly moist towel in there too to add just a little humidity, but nothing else, and then run it for just a few minutes at a time, repeatedly checking it. I was careful, but that fact was that the damned thing stank enough that I wasn't going to wear it like that, so there was little to lose.
 
Well, if you wore it out in the sun and it got really hot, that wouldn't necessarily ruin it, I wouldn't think. Some heat alone should not ruin it.

What will ruin it is getting it much too hot when it's already wet -- like if you put a wet leather coat next to a radiator for too long.

Low temperature, a whole lot of dryer sheets, maybe a slightly moist towel in there too to add just a little humidity, but nothing else, and then run it for just a few minutes at a time, repeatedly checking it. I was careful, but that fact was that the damned thing stank enough that I wasn't going to wear it like that, so there was little to lose.

this is true. At the moment its unwearable. I'll give it shot.
 

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