Leather sofas exude an aura of sophistication. And at the same time, they are very comfortable too! But maintaining a leather sofa isn’t easy. It can soak up offensive others. Stinky odors from cigarette smoke, sweat, the smell of fried fish, and offensive perfume can linger for a long time.
And even newly bought leather furniture can harbor an offensive smell too. The smell does dissipate but it may take a while. Not to worry, we’ll show you how to get the smells out of a leather couch.
These are easy and fast methods. And you might already have some of these cleaning tools in your cupboard
Ways to Remove Smells Out of your Leather Sofa
1. Baking soda
Apart from making cookies, you can also use baking soda to neutralize the bad odor. It’s a scent neutralizer and is safe to use at the same time. The sodium bicarbonate is quite effective in removing offensive odor.
Just sprinkle baking soda over the leather couch and let it sit for a while. Allow the baking soda to do its magic. Then vacuum it the next morning.
2. Vinegar
This kitchen cupboard is highly acidic which’s why it can effectively kill bad odors. Use a clean cloth and wipe the vinegar on the sofa. You can also use this to clean your floors. It’s economical and safe at the same time. You may also use a spray bottle.
Don’t worry about the acidic sour smell. It will dissipate along with the offensive smell on your leather sofa.
3. Saddle soap
A good old saddle soap might be the key because this type of sofa is specially made for anything leather. The only downside is that it can leave your leather sofa dry. But it’s easy to “moisturize” your leather sofa. You may use linseed oil or lanolin oil to prevent the leather from drying out too much and cracking.
4. Newspaper
Are you serious? Yes, we are! Newspapers have more porous fibers than leather. So once you lay it on the leather sofa, it will be able to absorb the smell. It will instantly lift the smell off of your leather sofa.
5. Natural air
This is probably one of the easiest solutions and you don’t have to do anything! Yes, a good old soak in the fresh air can free your leather sofa from any offending smells.
6. Rubbing alcohol
When your leather sofa starts to form a musty smell, it might be harboring molds and mildew. This is very possible for leather couches that haven’t been used in a while and kept in the dark.
All you have to do is rub the leather sofa with alcohol and cotton. Once the spots are gone, the molds and mildew will be gone too.
7. Ammonia and water
You can also use a mixture of ammonia and water. Ammonia may also have an off-putting smell, but it will be able to counteract the bad smell coming from animal urine. But don’t worry after you have let the ammonia do its work, you can finish the cleaning with washing liquid and warm water. And don’t forget to add conditioner to your leather sofa. The ammonia might cause your sofa to dry out.
8. Charcoal
Charcoal works in the same way as baking soda. So sprinkle crushed charcoal on your leather sofa and allow it to sit overnight. Then vacuum the next day.
9. Dry it out in the sun
Sometimes, the bad smell is just a result of the leather sofa not being dried properly. If you have spilled liquids on it, this is likely to happen. So what you need to do is find a sunny spot in your house. If there isn’t any, you can use a blow dryer on a high setting to dry off your sofa.
10. Professional products
There are several products on the market that are specifically made to remove bad smells from leather. You can try these if your cupboard essentials seem to not work.
- Silica gel
Silica Gel sucks out the moisture. And moisture is often the cause of the bad smell. Bud take note that you should not use this if you do not have pets or kids. It may contain toxic ingredients.
- Leather conditioning
This can help clean your sofa, prevent bad odors, and ensure that your sofa stays soft to touch.
- Leather cleaner
A leather cleaner can dissolve dirt and grime. Moreover, it’s relatively safe to use. Just apply the cleaner on the couch. Then use a clean cloth to remove the dirt and the cleaner residue.
Additional Tips
New slip on
Here’s another way to strike out the bad smell of your leather sofa. This is very handful if you have managed to remove most of the smells but there are still a few terraces of it. Why not get a new slip-on to mask the entire smell altogether?
Professional help
If all else fails and you don’t want a new slip-on, it’s time to call for professional help. Professional cleaning is very effective but it can also cost you. So you might want to consider this as your last option.
Final Say
If the smell of your leather sofa is killing you, it’s time to do some serious cleaning up! And you can also use some of your kitchen staples to zap out the funky smell.
But if it’s stinkier than expected, we have several suggestions for your last resort.