Really awful smell

[Kurt Meyer]

Hi guys ,

I got a jacket that smells very badly . Not like the normal old smell but just aweful.
Any methods without washing it to get the smell out of it ?

Kind regards, Michael

[Waffe]

Is it wool, or some other type of fabric?
If it is wool, you are probably limited to dry-cleaning it.

Kent

[jmcm]

put in plastic bag with fabreeze

[keifer kahn]

Id go with a subtle way at first.

I would brush it off .Exterior and interior.Dont forget to clean inside pockets and any folds.
Then vaccumm utilising screen mesh both exterior and interior.

Id then aerate it. Hang it on a hanger and put a domestic cooling fan blowing on it,(Low speed).

Then turn it inside out and repeat.

[Michael Fay]

I would enclose it in trash bag airtight with a few bags of pharmaceutical grade charcoal as found in aquarium stores.
just make sure charcoal cant rub off on it and this has to be the safest , most benign way to treat it.
-may take a month or so...even replacing charcoal a few times-- but safe

[Gaspare]

I'd do Keifers way 1st,,,then Mikes afterwards!

[Seigfried]

out washing it to get the smell out of it ?

Hang it outside overnight, simple as that. I used to hand my smoke infested shirts after a night in a pub/club - worked a treat.

[Kurt Meyer]

Thank you for all your comments , I think I won't sleep if my jacket is hanging outside !
I will take a look to the methods .

Thanks !!

[DTVPKING]

My US made war aid coat was 3 weeks outside and it smelled the same. I just had to wash it, sometimes the smell is "deep" inside the fabric.

[FreeRange]

Sometimes an odour will linger...seemingly forever.

However...start by airing it out well (doesn't have to be outside, put it in a room you're not using)...maybe gently blow a fan on it. If that doesn't work...you can try putting it in a plastic box with charcoal (keep the two objects separate). You can also try putting it in a plastic box with baking soda (absorbs odours as well). Then there are volcanic rock deodorizers also available.

Sunlight might also help. If you are at home...hang it in the sun for 30 minutes (not too long or you will fade the fabric) and see if that helps. You can turn it in the sun...and turn it inside out as well - say for 10 minutes sessions.

You might have to repeat any/all the suggestions for a while...or rotate products - until the odour fades.

I would advise against using chemical products such as Febreeze that you spray directly onto the fabric. Covering up a bad odour with another odour isn't the best way to approach the problem. Not to mention, it may stain.

[scotty1418]

I had an Ike uniform that was in a HEAVY smoking household which reeked, I had to leave it hanging in the garage for about a month before I could bring it in.

Im sure different types of 'odor-origins' require different methods of handing.

[Gaspare]

years ago I had a period field made POA camo jacket with a hood! The thing reeked of diesel fuel!

I tried everything. For months this thing was in deep freezers,,mothballed to death,, vacuumed,, packed with cedar. Nothing helped.

Finally I sold it [to a member here!] Something weird,,,when he got it and opened it up,,the smell was freakin gone!!