How to remove the smell from the bag with folk and special means

A bag is not only a container for various little things that a person may need outside the home. It is also an accessory, an addition to the overall image, forming the opinion of others. And if a women’s or men’s bag smells unpleasant, immediately after purchase or during operation, you need to take action. You can, of course, take the product to dry cleaning, but why not try to fix the problem on your own, saving on the services of specialists. In this article, readers of Expertology magazine will learn how to remove odor from a bag at home.

Causes of an unpleasant smell in the bag

Before trying to remove the smell coming from the interior of the accessory, you should understand why such a problem arose. There may be several options:

1. Organic or inorganic contamination got on the lining, because of this, an unpleasant smell inside the bag. In this case, cleaning or washing the lining is required.
2. Just an odorous substance got on the lining, for example, perfume spilled. To fix the problem, it is enough to wash and / or ventilate the bag. Aroma absorbers can also be used.
3. The product is sewn of a material that emits a smell. In this case, the bag will smell strongly at first, after a few months of operation the problem will disappear by itself. To speed up the process, you can use special odor absorbers.

Having found out where the unpleasant smell came from, you can begin to prepare the product for cleaning.

Preparing your bag for odor removal

The main measures to prepare the product for cleaning:

1. Take out everything that is in them from all pockets and compartments of the bag.

2. Turn out the pockets and, if possible, the lining, shake the product so that small debris spills out of it.

3. Go over the lining with a brush to remove dust and dirt embedded in the fabric.

4. If possible, protect the parts (accessories) of the bag that are oxidized, prone to rust and corrosion with polyethylene.

Now the product is completely ready for cleaning procedures. We list and describe the main, most effective and safe methods.

How to remove the smell from the bag — we erase the lining of the accessory

It is known that regular washing is the best way to deal with unpleasant odors. If your product or at least its lining can be washed in water, with detergents, try this method first:

1. If the lining can be removed from the bottom and turned inside out, do so.
2. Dissolve the shavings obtained by grinding a piece of ordinary laundry soap in water at room temperature. Shavings are obtained by rubbing a bar on a kitchen fine grater. You can use baby soap or laundry soap in the form of a liquid.
3. If the bag can be washed from the outside, wash and rinse in cool water. If not, wash only the lining. To do this, apply a soapy solution to the sponge, saturate the lining with it, “squeeze” if possible. And then, constantly rinsing the sponge, soak the soap out of the fabric, the foam should stop forming.
4. Wipe the outside of the product dry if possible. Inside, put crumpled sheets of clean paper (not newspaper, printing ink can transfer from it to the fabric), stuff the product tightly. As moisture is absorbed into the paper, change the padding. When you see that the paper is no longer wet, take the bag out onto the balcony or outside for final drying and airing.

If the pollution seems strong to you, and you want to soak the product before washing, so that the dirt comes off better, consider whether it is worth doing it, how safe it is for the accessory. Inside the bag there may be cardboard frame parts, parts that are fixed with glue. After soaking, it can simply “fall apart” into pieces.

Treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or lemon juice

The first way to remove the smell from organic matter (meat, rotten fruit, etc.) is to use a mixture of potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide. But keep in mind that potassium permanganate has a pink tint, the liquid prepared from it can stain the fabric. And peroxide has brightening, bleaching properties, so the lining material can shed. If you are still sure that the fabric will withstand such treatment, prepare a cleaning mixture. Take a liter of tepid water, dissolve 3 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide and so much potassium permanganate in it so that the liquid becomes transparent and pale pink. Make sure that there are no undissolved crystals at the bottom of the container. Put on rubber gloves, saturate a sponge with the solution, and thoroughly wipe the lining of the bag. Wait 15 minutes, rinse off the product by wiping it with a damp, clean cloth or sponge. Drying of the product takes place in the open air or with the help of lumps of white sheets of office paper.

Also, natural acids dissolved in water will help you remove the smell from the bag. You can take 1 liter of liquid, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to it or 1 tablespoon of vinegar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. The accessory is processed inside, and if the fabric allows, then outside, wetting a sponge or cotton pad with a solution. It is not necessary to strongly moisten the product, it is enough that its surfaces become wet. The bag after processing in the open is kept in the fresh air. During this time, the product has time to dry and air out, the molecules of evaporating acids take odor molecules with them.

How to remove the smell — we use inexpensive absorbents

To remove an unpleasant odor and rid the product of excess moisture, such simple means as salt and soda, activated charcoal will help. This method helps in situations where there is no obvious contamination of the lining fabric, but the irritating aroma is still present. How do we use salt and soda:

1. We mix both components in equal parts (the mass depends on the internal volume of the bag). Salt is desirable to take a fine grind brand Extra.
2. Pour the mixture into all the pockets and internal compartments of the bag, it is enough that it covers the bottom for a few centimeters.
3. We place the product in a plastic bag, tightly tie it, stand for a week.
4. After 7 days, remove the bag, carefully remove the entire mixture with a brush. It should absorb not only unpleasant odors, but also excess moisture.

How to use activated charcoal:

1. Grind 10-20 tablets into powder, you can simply crush them by wrapping them in a newspaper.
2. We make paper bags or small fabric bags, pour crushed coal into them.
3. We lay out the bags in all pockets and departments of the bag.

If after three days the unpleasant smell does not go away, change the old bags for new ones with fresh coal. The procedure can be repeated several times.

How to remove the smell from the bag with special means

In the assortment of hardware stores there are many household chemicals that will help get rid of an unpleasant smell. In particular, experts recommend using the Combi Cleaner cleaning foam from the well-known Salamander Professional brand. It is a universal cleaner that is suitable for the care of products made of such materials as leather, suede, textiles, nubuck, for the care of patent leather accessories. The highly effective and delicate formula easily eliminates odors, stains, dirt, salt and water stains, restores the color and structure of materials. The product is suitable for cleaning handbags, as well as other accessories and shoes. It is extremely easy to use:

1. The foam can is thoroughly shaken.
2. The product is applied to a clean cloth, sponge, napkin, sponge.
3. The surface requiring cleaning and maintenance is wiped or blotted.
4. The surface is polished or cleaned with a soft brush.

After such treatment, the repulsive smell from the bag will disappear, a pleasant unobtrusive citrus aroma will remain.

You can also purchase a universal 2 in 1 freshener, for example, Nagara Aqua Beads Lavender. This product simultaneously absorbs unpleasant odors and fills the premises with a light aroma of lavender. If you put a container of granules or directly several granules in a bag for one day, you can achieve the desired effect. After that, the absorber can be used to freshen the air in the bathroom or toilet room, in the living room, bedroom, etc.

How to remove odor from a new bag

Some users have encountered a situation where an unpleasant odor comes from the inside of a brand new product. This is due to the fact that the bag was made of poor quality materials or technologies were violated during its production, it was stored or transported in inappropriate conditions. In this case, you can take the following measures:

1. Wash the bag or clean it with cleaning foam (the same Combi Cleaner) inside and out.
2. Use absorbents that will absorb an unpleasant odor. These can be special absorbers or improvised means (salt and soda, activated carbon).
3. Use fragrances that will kill the unpleasant «aroma» from the bag.

As natural flavors for deodorizing the interior of the accessory, you can use sachets, home-made bags made of cotton material filled with ground coffee, citrus peels, and fragrant herbs. You can put cotton wool soaked in your favorite essential oil or perfume in a sachet. Perfume or essential oils can simply be applied to a tissue handkerchief and put in the pocket of the bag. It will be invisible, but will exude aroma for a long time.