Leather bag smells like Fanny Wash, can't remove the smell

[WhenItIsOver]

Any suggestions please?

I have a leather bag I bought last year, it reeked of something that smells like Femfresh or something just as evil and sickly. It might be a leather conditioner. I have tried cleaning it with unperfumed liquid soap and it has been hanging in the garage all winter until last week, still stinks.

The handles reek so much that my hands stink when I pick it up, the rest of the bag stinks too.

It has been in the washing machine, still reeks.

I have soaked it in vinegar (neat) and covered it in unperfumed washing powder and rubbed it in. It still stinks.

Currently it is in a bowl of washing up liquid and water (unperfumed) waiting to go back in the wash again and hung outside.

I am tempted to just put it in the bin because I am out of patience but it could be a really good bag if only someone hadn't made smell so foul. I can't put it in cat litter until it is dry and I think that used litter would smell better than the way it is currently. This is the first used bag I have ever had that smells so disgusting, it is as if it has been soaked in something.

Bicarbonate of soda is good for smells.

I don't know what it must smell like but unless you spent a fortune on it I'd cut my losses and bin it.

I had a leather bag that I'd bought online. Absolutely loved it but my god it reeked of a weird combo of horse shit and leather.

I covered it and filled it with bicarb and bagged it up a few times, left in the shed for weeks, hung it on the washing line on windy days. Nothing worked and I gave it to the charity shop in the end. Whenever I used it I was so paranoid that people would think I smelt of horse shit leather.

I have never had much luck with bicarb. Apart from freshening the fridge, but even then just cleaning it out works better.

Wowfudge, it is foul heavy sickly smell, must be oil based as it just will not shift. I really don't want to dump it but fear I will have to, I can't live with perfume smells, especially if they are like scented sanpro. I didn't expect it to transfer to my hands.

OverlyLeafy, I know what you mean, something to do with not being treated properly I think, although sometimes goat and camel smells like turds.

It is going back in the wash and then outdoors for the night. I have read that putting it in a box of scrunched up newspaper for months, and changing the paper often might help, and putting flour on it (ha ha at having flour at the moment).

Can't get a replacement because it was a used bag, and no-one is selling one, plus I don't have the money unless I can sell this one suppose.

I have a feeling it is a leather cream that has made it stink.

What about trying saddle soap?

It won't do the leather any harm (in fact, it will be good for it) and it may get rid of the smell. Worth a try?

I bought a leather bag from a charity shop and it was only when I got it home that I noticed it reeked of cigarette smoke. I also bought an expensive leather jacket once that smelt so strongly of leather/chemicals that it made me feel ill. This method got rid of the smell on both.
What you must do is crumple up sheets of newspaper and pack it inside the bag. Put the bag in a black bin liner and pack it with lots of crumpled up newspaper all around it. Seal the bag and put it in the cupboard for at least two weeks, the more the better. The newspaper will absorb the smell from the leather. Good luck

Bung it in the machine ! I've washed leather bags before and they are fine and you have made it wet anyway!

Thanks everyone. I won't use saddle soap until after the smell is gone as it will seal it in even more, I need to get rid of it first.

I have bunged it in the machine, it had its 5th wash yesterday after being covered in perfume free washing powder which I rubbed into the handles. I stuffed it with towels and hung it on the line all night. It still had a smell this morning and has gone very hard and is not completely dry but brought it inside because of the sun, will put it back out tonight.

A lot of the colour has washed out, but I don't care as long as the smell goes. I really wanted to use it for Spring and Summer. May have to repeat the washing powder wash and then will move on to the newspaper.

If that fails I will make it nice and donate or sell it.