Expensive vinted mistake

[Mamma272]

I bought a secondhand jacket for £150. It arrived and smells of perfume which I hate! I’ve washed it and it still smells.

I’ve been through this once before - I bought a charity shop jacket and found it reeked when I got home I couldn’t tolerate the smell of it. I tried so many remedies including gallons of white vinegar and even vodka! I also stored with activated charcoal and that didn’t work. I ended up spending more than the cost of the jacket and eventually returned it.

This is by far the most I’ve ever spent on clothes on vinted - I usually buy bundles of baby things that are always clean!

Do I have ground to return it? Give a 1* review? I don’t know if I have the energy to try all the remedies again and as it’s cold it’s going to take longer to dry and limit how often I can have a go.

That’s super useful, thank you.

I think someone else has suggested if but id
also try one of the sports specific laundry liquids that are designed to get
sweaty oily smells out of gym kit. It’s not only buying second hand this can happen I’ve opened stuff bought new online and it’s stunk of perfume but otherwise looked unworn- thinks there’s some types of perfume that just cling even if just trying something on.

I’ve used a resealable plastic bag with bicarbonate of soda. Pop the jacket in the bag and fill with bicarbonate of soda and seal. Leave it a week or so and it should absorb the smell.

Would you douse in just fairy or in water too?

I'm like that. I put anti-perspirant on this morning and it seems to be overpowering. The reviews said it as 'No scent to it really'' and similar.
It's not stinky but I don't smell like me.

It’s a genuine reaction to a thread you started about a smelly second hand polyester coat you bought for £150!

I was going to suggest bicarbonate of soda as well.

Assuming it's machine washable/can get wet, a friend of mine used to give me hand me downs for my kids and she used the strongest smelling detergent or softener and the smell didn't come out even after several washes. Eventually I just left them hanging outside for two weeks (including in the rain, all day & night I never took them in until the smell had gone) and that got rid of the smell. One week wasn't enough, had to be at least two. I appreciate doing this with free children's clothes is a bit less risky than with an expensive jacket though

Goodness what my neighbours thought...

I'd put it in a bath or bucket with a solution of bicarbonate of soda in hand-hot water. Depending on the type of coat use a suitable method to let most of the water get out of the coat before you proceed.

(from my earlier link: "Bicarb should do it. Soak in a bucket 1 cup (about 250ml) bicarb and water overnight and also pop a cup in the washer drum to wash the next day.")

Oh for goodness sake 😂

Can you ask some friends if they notice the smell too? If it's just that you are super-sensitive to this particular smell I would put it back on Vinted. If others agree with you, and suggestions here don't work, then I understand why you wouldn't want to try to sell it.

To the dry cleaner @PeachBlossom1234 could putting the coat in the freezer kill any last smells?

But you don't know what type of jacket it is or whether it has a special finish like waterproofing or whether it has particular requirements for washing in order that the waterproof finish isn't destroyed - so I don't see how you can be so certain that no jacket made of polyester and other synthetic materials is worth £150 second hand.

Could you leave it outdoors for a few days -
would fresh air get the wiff out ??

febreeze it then hang outside long as possible

OP clearly doesn't want to give any further information and that's obviously her prerogative but it is relevant if she is looking for advice on what might work, as the special features probably affect how the coat needs to be cleaned and treated.

If you prefer to stick to natural materials why did you buy a polyester coat ? Doesn't make sense.

My money is on a waterproof riding coat.

Think the former dry cleaner nailed it with their advice

Good luck op you will get rid of that smell eventually!

Laundry detergents don't always work because people have been convinced they should wash everything on 20 or 30 degrees for about 30 minutes. If you wash on a minimum of 40 or sometimes 60 degrees, on a proper full cycle, then smells WILL come out. If your laundry still smells musty or stale it's probably because the drum needs a good hot wash on a cleaning cycle with some bicarb or a cleaning solution run through it. These cool temperature washes that are supposedly good for the environment are making everyone smell like a musty old tramp.

That's why we are constantly being marketed extra things to make our washing smell better and to get stains out. More money spent on unnecessary chemicals being flushed down the drain which we never used to need when we just washed stuff properly.

Some of Sweaty Betty's polyamide and polyester waterproof, insulated, sealed seam jackets are £300.

£150 for a polyester jacket! Wow.

Anyway; YABU because do you really think anything will be worn without picking up the wearer’s scent? A lot of women wear perfume. I buy a lot from Vinted, and all of it is fine after a maximum of 2 or 3 long washes with Ecover.

Do you think I didn’t already feel bad? That after 5, 6 pages a few posters wouldn’t have already told me I was silly? Maybe read the whole thread if you have time to post on it too.

In fact, since I just mentioned bicarb, why don't you try running it through the machine again, on 40 degrees, full length cycle with nothing but bicarb in it.

Air dry it outside after you have washed it. I use bicarbonate with sports kits and def gets rid of the smell. White wine vinegar is another option for a good clean with whites. I bought something that reeked of smoke from a selling page I didn’t realise until I got it home but the smell did go. Febreeze also helped.

@Fernie6491 , I stick to natural materials where possible but my activewear is synthetic. If you've ever been caught in a shower when out jogging you'll know why.

I have a wool coat and a Barbour but my waterproofs and packable parka ar synthetic.