How to get rid of old musty smell from vintage suede schott trucker jackets?

[nirvana42]

Hey I have a couple of old vintage suede schott type 3 trucker jackets. I believe one is from the late 60s and the other from the 70s (based on a label guide previously posted on here). They both have a bit of an old musty smell to them and some stains I would like to clean up. What's the best approach with dealing with those issues? I believe I can get rid of the dirt stains with a suede brush and eraser. But unsure on how to deal with the smell. Thanks!

 

[ABCD]

Get an ozone machine.

Ask a Question, Get An Answer About Outerwear

My concern is when they return the jacket back, DHL will charge me duties. I have never had to pay anything when the seller organizes the return transport to the UK.

www.thefedoralounge.com

 

[nirvana42]

Get an ozone machine.

Ask a Question, Get An Answer About Outerwear

My concern is when they return the jacket back, DHL will charge me duties. I have never had to pay anything when the seller organizes the return transport to the UK.

www.thefedoralounge.com

In a small apartment with pets not sure how safe and viable such an option is. But thanks for the suggestion.

 

[baldipino]

I'm dealing with the same issue though with smooth leather, and have tried the following (to no avail): Febreze, bagging it with baking soda for 5 days, wearing it, spraying the inside with a vodka/water mix, and putting a fan on it. No luck so far. My next, and probably last, attempt will be to put it in the freezer for a few weeks. Like you, I welcome any advice!

 

[nirvana42]

I've tried the freezer trick, but it didn't seem to work for me. The more I think about, probably the safest approach would be to rent a cheap hotel room and use the ozone machine in the bathroom for a couple of hours.

 

[raf]

In a small apartment with pets not sure how safe and viable such an option is. But thanks for the suggestion.

Set the ozone machine high in a car, like top of console. Run elec wire out through a side window to power source. Stuff partially closed window (AC wire) with plastic bags. Leave other doors accessible do you can duck in and turn over the items/turn them inside out. Place items as low as possible while exposing as much surface area as possible; re-adjust to expose complete surface. Don't breathe the concentrated ozone.

An hour's exposure to ozone should do the trick, but if you need to reposition the items and/or turn them inside-out, exposure time must be increased for the now-uncovered surfaces. Re-start ozone generator for an hour after repositioning of items.

Vent the car (including the trunk) well, the ozone smell will soon dissipate, and the inside of your car will smell a lot cleaner, to boot. Pull up/remove rubber floor mats to expose the carpeting underneath to the ozone.

 

[Modified_last_call]

Set the ozone machine high in a car, like top of console. Run elec wire out through a side window to power source. Stuff partially closed window (AC wire) with plastic bags. Leave other doors accessible do you can duck in and turn over the items/turn them inside out. Place items as low as possible while exposing as much surface area as possible; re-adjust to expose complete surface. Don't breathe the concentrated ozone.

An hour's exposure to ozone should do the trick, but if you need to reposition the items and/or turn them inside-out, exposure time must be increased for the now-uncovered surfaces. Re-start ozone generator for an hour after repositioning of items.

Vent the car (including the trunk) well, the ozone smell will soon dissipate, and the inside of your car will smell a lot cleaner, to boot. Pull up/remove rubber floor mats to expose the carpeting underneath to the ozone.

I always use my ozone machine in a small powder room, but this is an excellent alternative.
Kinda like killing two birds with one stone.

 

[Peacoat]

In a small apartment with pets not sure how safe and viable such an option is. But thanks for the suggestion.

In a small apartment you obviously don't want to use the ozone machine in the bathroom with pets in the same apartment. It may be safe to put the pets in a bedroom and block under the two closed doors with towels. But I wouldn't want to chance it. I have a house and have had a dog three closed and blocked doors from the machine with no ill effects.

Just take the pets to your vet's office for a few hours while you treat the jacket. Depending on the strength of the machine, it may not take more than thirty minutes to a hour.

 

[nirvana42]

In a small apartment you obviously don't want to use the ozone machine in the bathroom with pets in the same apartment. It may be safe to put the pets in a bedroom and block under the two closed doors with towels. But I wouldn't want to chance it. I have a house and have had a dog three closed and blocked doors from the machine with no ill effects.

Just take the pets to your vet's office for a few hours while you treat the jacket. Depending on the strength of the machine, it may not take more than thirty minutes to a hour.

Thanks for the tips. I think one work around would be to ask family/friend to use their apartment bathroom while they are out for the day, or worse case scenario just rent a room. I should be able to figure something out. But again appreciate the info, your experience with your dog is useful to know.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Thanks for the tips. I think one work around would be to ask family/friend to use their apartment bathroom while they are out for the day, or worse case scenario just rent a room. I should be able to figure something out. But again appreciate the info, your experience with your dog is useful to know.

I like to buy an occasional old boot or jacket and for whatever reason I enjoy the chase more than the kill. I've tried something you might find helpful and it's that I hang a jacket or toss a pair of boots in my wife's SUV. She works a Dobermann in dog sports, walks through the woods with that dog, takes it swimming and every other thing capable of making the inside of a truck stink.

I buy Ozone in 2oz aerosol containers and I hang the new to me jacket or boots in her truck, shut the windows and sunroof and pull it out into the driveway. I then fire up either the heater or the A/C full throttle and let that ozone bomb go off in the truck, shut the door and wander off for 20 minutes.

When the twenty are up I open every door and window to let the truck air out and there's no smell of dog in the truck, the jacket or the boots. Some will tell you that ozone is heavier than air and that's true in a lab environment or the upper atmosphere but it's not true in practice so don't try to out think the process and instead just go for it. Sometimes I'll squeeze the trigger on that ozone bomb and blast it straight into the boots first as the vehicle's fan won't otherwise force circulating ozone into the boot.

It works great, the entire process costs me maybe five bucks and I toss the dead can in the trash when I'm done.

If using a car isn't an option you can pick up a storage carton for ten bucks and nuke your jacket or boots in that box on the sidewalk.

Win / win.

 

[nirvana42]

I like to buy an occasional old boot or jacket and for whatever reason I enjoy the chase more than the kill. I've tried something you might find helpful and it's that I hang a jacket or toss a pair of boots in my wife's SUV. She works a Dobermann in dog sports, walks through the woods with that dog, takes it swimming and every other thing capable of making the inside of a truck stink.

I buy Ozone in 2oz aerosol containers and I hang the new to me jacket or boots in her truck, shut the windows and sunroof and pull it out into the driveway. I then fire up either the heater or the A/C full throttle and let that ozone bomb go off in the truck, shut the door and wander off for 20 minutes.

When the twenty are up I open every door and window to let the truck air out and there's no smell of dog in the truck, the jacket or the boots. Some will tell you that ozone is heavier than air and that's true in a lab environment or the upper atmosphere but it's not true in practice so don't try to out think the process and instead just go for it. Sometimes I'll squeeze the trigger on that ozone bomb and blast it straight into the boots first as the vehicle's fan won't otherwise force circulating ozone into the boot.

It works great, the entire process costs me maybe five bucks and I toss the dead can in the trash when I'm done.

If using a car isn't an option you can pick up a storage carton for ten bucks and nuke your jacket or boots in that box on the sidewalk.

Win / win.

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View attachment 745657

Great suggestion. I think I'll try this approach first (with the containers). Thanks.

 

[nirvana42]

I like to buy an occasional old boot or jacket and for whatever reason I enjoy the chase more than the kill. I've tried something you might find helpful and it's that I hang a jacket or toss a pair of boots in my wife's SUV. She works a Dobermann in dog sports, walks through the woods with that dog, takes it swimming and every other thing capable of making the inside of a truck stink.

I buy Ozone in 2oz aerosol containers and I hang the new to me jacket or boots in her truck, shut the windows and sunroof and pull it out into the driveway. I then fire up either the heater or the A/C full throttle and let that ozone bomb go off in the truck, shut the door and wander off for 20 minutes.

When the twenty are up I open every door and window to let the truck air out and there's no smell of dog in the truck, the jacket or the boots. Some will tell you that ozone is heavier than air and that's true in a lab environment or the upper atmosphere but it's not true in practice so don't try to out think the process and instead just go for it. Sometimes I'll squeeze the trigger on that ozone bomb and blast it straight into the boots first as the vehicle's fan won't otherwise force circulating ozone into the boot.

It works great, the entire process costs me maybe five bucks and I toss the dead can in the trash when I'm done.

If using a car isn't an option you can pick up a storage carton for ten bucks and nuke your jacket or boots in that box on the sidewalk.

Win / win.

View attachment 745658

View attachment 745657

Oh one follow up question, how long do you usually keep the items in the bin?

 

[postman10mm]

CLO2 works even better than ozone, just don’t use it on wool.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Oh one follow up question, how long do you usually keep the items in the bin?

No longer than 20 minutes. Supposedly full benefit is in 15 minutes.

If there were a down side to the container approach it's that a jacket folded up in that box is unlikely to be fully exposed to the ozone unless you go to special lengths to ensure that it is. If you fold it and lay it in the box that would be worst case. I'd recommend you put something irregular in the bottom of the carton and then do anything but fold the jacket neatly. Expose as much surface area as possible and you may want to experiment w/ your worst jacket first just so you attenuate risk with a little experience. Good luck!

 

[CanuckPeter]

You’re trying to get the odour out of the lining and stitching for the most part.
This might be sacrilege to some but my know-it-all sister said you can wash leather in the machine, just be careful about the spin cycle; put vinegar in with your mild soap and air dry it outside on a clothesline in the sun & wind for five days if you can manage good weather for that long; just like you flip a good steak to sear both sides, turn it inside out frequently
Treat the leather with Leathertique or beeswax afterwards

 

[barnabus]

This might be sacrilege to some but my know-it-all sister said you can wash leather in the machine

I've washed dozens of leather jackets in the machine over the years and I'll happily and confidently do it again.

I can't remember if I've washed a suede jacket though. But I do regularly wash my house slippers in the machine when they get a bit ripe, and they're suede.

They're absolutely fine, and I use laundry detergent to wash them.

 

[baldipino]

I've washed dozens of leather jackets in the machine over the years and I'll happily and confidently do it again.

I can't remember if I've washed a suede jacket though. But I do regularly wash my house slippers in the machine when they get a bit ripe, and they're suede.

They're absolutely fine, and I use laundry detergent to wash them.

Genuine question: would you attempt this method with, say, an Aero or Thedi jacket? Essentially, is there a jacket price threshold wherein you personally wouldn't trust this method? For a $50 jacket, I can handle it if I ruin it in a washing machine. But the idea of stuffing a $900+ jacket into the washer sounds rather anxiety inducing...

 

[JMax]

Genuine question: would you attempt this method with, say, an Aero or Thedi jacket? Essentially, is there a jacket price threshold wherein you personally wouldn't trust this method? For a $50 jacket, I can handle it if I ruin it in a washing machine. But the idea of stuffing a $900+ jacket into the washer sounds rather anxiety inducing...

We all accept varying levels of risk. Personally, more expensive jackets I hand wash in a tub and/or zap it with my ozone machine (room, car, closet, container- all have worked). That said, I have gotten frisky and thrown in a washer nicer (imo) jackets. Lay flat on a towel to air dry. They came out fine.

 

[raf]

People have completely wetted-down leather jackets in order to stretch them and also washed them to clean them. Sometimes both.

I suggest not washing sheepskin/wool jackets at all, as the weight of even the drained leather/wool may place undue strain on the stitching/leather, not to mention the vigorous arm movements required to "stretch" the leather a bit.

An alternative is hand-washing a leather jacket in a clean tub, rinsing very well, allowing to drain for an hour or so, and then donning it over a heavy weight sweatshirt. Wear it all day (fully zipped) and exercise/move your arms in all directions frequently. This will soften-up the leather and stretch it a bit.

Suggest one carefully inspect every inch of the stitching beforehand to ensure it is intact.

Plan on hanging the jacket inside-out and best having some fans blowing on it. Use broad-shoulder hanger, or some pool noodles on a few narrow hangers. Will take some time to fully dry, so be patient. Warm--never hot-- drying environment, at most, room temp is preferred.

 

[barnabus]

Genuine question: would you attempt this method with, say, an Aero or Thedi jacket? Essentially, is there a jacket price threshold wherein you personally wouldn't trust this method? For a $50 jacket, I can handle it if I ruin it in a washing machine. But the idea of stuffing a $900+ jacket into the washer sounds rather anxiety inducing...

Good question, but one that's above my pay grade I'm afraid.

I never buy anything I couldn't afford to lose/ruin/have a disaster with. Not just jackets, everything.

I think that everything is for every day, so I don't own anything I don't intend to use under whatever circumstances the day throws at me.

edit: my most expensive jacket was a £200 (bought new but reduced to half price) armoured leather motorcycle jacket. And I wear that in the knowledge that every time I use it it could get thrown down the road full of giblets.