What is it with old leathers? I’ve had to get my old leather jacket out as my Alpinestars zip failed and has been sent back. The leather jacket is c1991 and stinks! It spent 20 years hanging in my Mum’s wardrobe and I can’t have it in my house unless it’s in a plastic bag. My leather trousers are the same.
So what causes it and how can I stop it?
The simplest & cheapest thing to try first would be to put them in the freezer for a few days to kill off the bacteria.
It sounds like they’ve absorbed odours from being in same place for so long… Whether there is anything specific to leathers I’ve no idea.
I’d suggest hanging them out in the open air for a few days when the weather is ok.
However all solutions (freeze, air, microwave, vinegar etc) I’ve read for smelly clothes, shoes etc always have people saying the smell came back as the ‘treatment didn’t really kill anything off’. The moment you get hot in them, it’ll likely come back.
It’s a two decades old natural material, it doesn’t smell, it’s got a ‘distinct and full bodied aroma’
