Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How to Get Rid of Fake Leather Smell?

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Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 08-06-2005, 01:32 AM:

So I bought one of those folding poker table tops for my home game. It pretty nice, good felt, cupholders, etc. There is only one problem-the fake leather smell added to the synthetic leather. It doesn't bother me personally, though I can tell its fake, but for whatever reason it makes my wife physical ill-literally. I'd really like to be able to use this table for this comming wednesday's game but if she's going to have to puke every 15 minutes from the smell that won't be an option. My question is is there some sort of spray on product I can buy to either temporarily or more preferably mask the odor? Even if a new odor was created it would be fine (assuming it didn't affect her like this one does).

Any thoughts?

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 08-06-2005, 02:15 AM:

Armoral or OrangeGlow might do it.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-06-2005, 02:22 AM:

Two options: Replace it with REAL leather...Or get a divorce.

Posted by Floyd Justin Newton (Member # 1316) on 08-06-2005, 10:03 AM:

Phil--

RIGHT ON! [Wink]

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 08-06-2005, 10:26 AM:

Febreze? It does a good job of getting rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in pinball machines that have been in bars for a long time. [Big Grin]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-06-2005, 11:31 AM:

Take it outside and let it set in the sun and fresh air for a while. (Don't let any rain get on it.)

If it doesn't loose enough of its smell after a while I vote for Fabreeze.

The idea is not to use any other chemicals the could either mar the item or exacerbate the problem until it's absolutely necessary. I imagine a day or so of setting in the back yard ought to get most of the smell out. Fabreeze should be able to handle anything that's left over after that.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-06-2005, 12:43 PM:

Take it back to Wal-Mart and get something more useful!

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 08-06-2005, 12:49 PM:

I take it Mark dosn't like poker? Or Mark dosn't like Fabreze? [Confused]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-06-2005, 03:22 PM:

Fabreze makes me sneeze.....

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 08-06-2005, 06:32 PM:

LOL

yeah don't care for the smell too much either but the girlfriend loves the stuff....along with her Swifer wet jet

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 08-06-2005, 11:19 PM:

This face sneezes alot when Fabreeze is around. Do you want to make this face sick?

Sitting it outside is the suggestion that I was thinking of, too.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 08-08-2005, 02:27 AM:

Olfaction is a chemical process up to the point of the smell hitting the nose. Stinky molecules are becoming freed from the vinyl surface, being carried through the air, & latching onto your wife's receptors which fit them.

Masking is probably not going to stop making her sick in the presence of the stink generator, as presumably the same number of stinky molecules will be released to find their receptors. You'd have to find a molecule which latches onto that type of receptor first, leaving no place for the stinky molecule to attach, or one which attaches to the stinky molecules which then makes them then unable to attach to the wife's stinky receptors.

If getting rid of it is not an option, maybe the best thing would be to get rid of as many of the easily-released stinky molecules as possible. Scrub it with something like Armorall cleaner (not the protectant) & a small brush to get off all the loosest ones, then leave it outside like stinky tennis shoes & let the gentle summer breezes carry off as many of the stinky molecules as possible. Keep its vinyl side away from the light, as UV breaks down plastics & may contribute to the problem.

That may help, but its likely to continue to release stinky molecules in smaller amounts. Possibly afterwards the ppm of stinky molecules will be small enough to not bother your wife, but maybe not. The stinkiest & most headache-inducing plastic I've encountered was the plastic of the handles of some cheap screwdrivers I bought on the road. They stank for years, & as the stink finally abated, I noticed the plastic had shrunk, become harder, & developed hairline cracks. The release of the stinky molecules was an indication of & part of the process of the plastic deteriorating. In that case, it seems that it was just a matter of what kind of plastic was used & its quality of manufacture, & the stinkage & deterioration was just an inevitable characteristic of the plastic's useful lifespan.

If the stinky molecules are *not* being released by the plastic deteriorating, but are something else like a protectant or 'fake leather smell' something applied afterwards to the plastic, it might independently be dissipated. And most stinky vinyls do stink less after a while as the most-easily released stinky molecules take off & fewer are subsequently released.

Posted by Brian Hogan (Member # 940) on 08-08-2005, 09:37 PM:

the whole point of putting it outside in the sun all day is so that the UV radiation will breakdown the chemical causing the problem. stinky clothes and shoes dont smell better from the wind, its the UV that does it.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-08-2005, 09:57 PM:

I'd say that "Fresh Air & Sunshine" has a little to do with both.

UV radiation and heat from the sun break down noxious chemicals into less noxious ones and the breeze blows them away.

Most manufatured goods have smells to them when they're new but the aroma gets trapped inside the house. Taking things outside "Lets the stink get blowed off". Hopefully, the sunshine will speed the process up a bit.

One question, though: Are you sure that it's the SMELL your wife has a problem with and it's not a psychological reaction to the IDEA of you and your buddies drinking, smoking and playing poker in the house all night? [Wink]

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 08-08-2005, 11:49 PM:

No, she plays with us [Smile]

.

And yeah, its the smell, gives her a wicked migraine.

Thanks for all your suggestions, I'm thinking that it might actually be the smell of glue and not fake leather smell, we shall see how things work out.