How To Eliminate Odors From Bags
Do you have a pre-owned handbag that smells of smoke, or a vintage bag that smells dank? We tested 4 popular ways of removing odor, including Febreze, coffee grinds, vinegar, and Meguiar's odor eliminator spray. See what worked the best at removing unpleasant odors.
4 ways for odor removal on 2 common unpleasant smells, musty vintage smell, and cigarette smoke were tested.
Febreze was lightly sprayed onto a paper towel. The bag's interior was gently wiped down with this paper towel. Then, newly Febreze-sprayed paper towels were placed in the bag for a few days. We found this to only mask the bag odors temporarily. Rating: 1 out of 5 stars ✩
Coffee grinds were placed in an open napkin for several days in a purse that smelled like smoke. The bag still smelled like smoke and coffee. Rating: 1 out of 5 stars ✩
White vinegar was mixed 50/50 with water. A paper towel was dampened with this mixed solution. The inside of the smelly bag was wiped down gently with the paper towel. This removed a portion of the smell. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ✩✩✩
The best odor remover that we found and recommend is Meguiar's Odor Eliminator spray .
1. Spray a paper towel with Meguiar's Odor Eliminator spray . The towel should only be slightly damp.
2. Test a small spot first on the inside of the bag. After testing proves that the spray does not adversely affect the interior of your bag, gently wipe down the inside and pockets of the bag. We were able to use this spray on both cloth and leather interiors.
3. Repeat until the bag's odors are not bothersome.
Meguiar's Odor Eliminator spray was used successfully on both a very vintage bag that smelled mildewy and a bag that originally smelled heavily of cigarette smoke. It was by far the most effective way of removing stink out of bags. It also did not make the bags overly perfumed afterwards. The resulting smell is almost like nothing or very faintly of a new car's interior. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ✩✩✩✩