Removing leather smell from new car

M

MWA

New member
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
I've bought a new car with a leather interior and I've realized that I hate the smell of leather. It actually gives me headaches.

Can anyone recommend the best way to remove the smell without removing the leather? Please note that I've investigated the various fogging options and found that none of them actually work. The leather smell comes from chemicals deep in the leather. Most fogging products just mask odors with other chemicals.

I have found that if I clean the leather, it smells better for a little while. But, my hand starts to hurt after a while with all the scrubbing.

Can anyone recommend some kind of mechanical/electrical device that I could use to make the cleaning process easier?
 
Do you have a dog? Wet dog smell trumps all.
 
MWA said:
I've bought a new car with a leather interior and I've realized that I hate the smell of leather. It actually gives me headaches.

Can anyone recommend the best way to remove the smell without removing the leather? Please note that I've investigated the various fogging options and found that none of them actually work. The leather smell comes from chemicals deep in the leather. Most fogging products just mask odors with other chemicals.

I have found that if I clean the leather, it smells better for a little while. But, my hand starts to hurt after a while with all the scrubbing.

Can anyone recommend some kind of mechanical/electrical device that I could use to make the cleaning process easier?
Click to expand...

That's terrible to be so leather-sensitive.

RE:"All the scrubbing":
If your leather areas are 'protected leather'...Pretty soon you'll have scrubbed the "coating" off...Then what a leather-smell there will be emanating from the vehicle's cabin!!

:(

Bob
 
The "new car smell" that we all crave is actually caused by the various materials in the car out gassing. The strong smells should dissipate over time. I would not be scrubbing the leather to rid the odor. You are only opening up the pores even more if it is real leather and compromising the integrity of the leather itself. You may want to see if Car Pro's So2Pure can give you some relief.
 
If nothing seems to solve your problem...here is a solution:

We can trade cars untill the new car smell is gone and new leather smell has worn down. I have lost about the last bit of new car smell in my car and want it back :hungry:
 
I would just keep a bottle of Stripper Sent from Chemical Guys in the glove compartment.
 
Porsche Pilot said:
The "new car smell" that we all crave is actually caused by the various materials in the car out gassing. The strong smells should dissipate over time. I would not be scrubbing the leather to rid the odor. You are only opening up the pores even more if it is real leather and compromising the integrity of the leather itself. You may want to see if Car Pro's So2Pure can give you some relief.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

I have customers that buy new cars on a regular basis and they actually get some kind of allergic reaction and headaches when they buy them. While a new car might smell good others might want to look at this news article.

That new-car smell might be toxic - Business - Autos - msnbc.com

If you have a garage or safe driveway maybe you can leave your car windows open or drive with the windows open if the weather is nice.
 
I seriously doubt it the leather smell giving you headaches. More than likely it is the voc related to interior trim surfaces out gassing...


Jason
 
A dead cat in the back seat should do the trick. It worked for a buddy of mine!
 
I had a customer come to me with the same issue once before. I had no idea what to do. So, I stuck my ozone machine in it for a while. I smelled it afterwards....and I could have sworn the smell was still there.

But, when the customer came to pick it up...he was psyched that I got rid of it, ha. So, I guess it worked...:dunno:
 
found this,

"Bake out the car.

If you buy a new car, you can speed up the release of chemicals in the car by a process called baking out. “Baking out” a car combines heat and ventilation followed by cleaning. Raising temperatures cause chemicals to be released into the air. Ventilation makes sure the chemicals move out of the car before they are reabsorbed. To bake out a car, either leave the car in hot sun, with windows open an inch or two, or leave heat on for a number of hours. Then open windows wide and air the car thoroughly. After airing, clean all surfaces with a microfiber cloth and a tolerated less-toxic cleaner.

A mild solution of TSP in water (1 teaspoon to a quart of water) is strong enough to cut oil residues on surfaces, but is tolerable to most chemically sensitive people. Borax and washing soda, (beware, some brands of washing soda contain added scent), are other heavy duty cleaners suitable for the job. Vinegar can also be used. Microfiber cloths work well because the tiny fibers have a scrubbing effect, and grab and hold small particles. They are more effective than an ordinary cloth or sponge. Wash surfaces on a sunny day, so they dry quickly to avoid any problems with mold. For people who are chemically sensitive, this process may need to be repeated a number of times.

Leaving a new car outside in sunlight (with windows open a bit), rather than in a garage, will help speed up off-gassing of chemicals, especially in the first 6 months. "

Reducing That New Car Smell
 
Dugdug said:
found this,

"Bake out the car.

If you buy a new car, you can speed up the release of chemicals in the car by a process called baking out. “Baking out” a car combines heat and ventilation followed by cleaning. Raising temperatures cause chemicals to be released into the air. Ventilation makes sure the chemicals move out of the car before they are reabsorbed. To bake out a car, either leave the car in hot sun, with windows open an inch or two, or leave heat on for a number of hours. Then open windows wide and air the car thoroughly. After airing, clean all surfaces with a microfiber cloth and a tolerated less-toxic cleaner.

A mild solution of TSP in water (1 teaspoon to a quart of water) is strong enough to cut oil residues on surfaces, but is tolerable to most chemically sensitive people. Borax and washing soda, (beware, some brands of washing soda contain added scent), are other heavy duty cleaners suitable for the job. Vinegar can also be used. Microfiber cloths work well because the tiny fibers have a scrubbing effect, and grab and hold small particles. They are more effective than an ordinary cloth or sponge. Wash surfaces on a sunny day, so they dry quickly to avoid any problems with mold. For people who are chemically sensitive, this process may need to be repeated a number of times.

Leaving a new car outside in sunlight (with windows open a bit), rather than in a garage, will help speed up off-gassing of chemicals, especially in the first 6 months. "

Reducing That New Car Smell
Click to expand...

I wonder what happens to, or what the interior "materials" will look like, after all of the off-gassing has taken place during the 'normal-life-expectancy' of an interior's materials...
Let alone when this aging process has been accelerated by a 'Baking Method'?

And is the TSP mentioned above: Tri-sodium Phosphate?...A banned chemical in over 20 States and partially banned in more than 15 others!!!
A hazardous material rating of 3: High/Serious...For health&safety!!

I personally wouldn't recommend TSP's usage for/on anything, or by anyone!!!

Got to also wonder if this is the first new vehicle the OP has ever 'owned'...Out-gassing sensitivities surely would have been made self-evident, prior to this report, if that is indeed the case.

If the OP says it's leather causing his "problems", then I will not argue his position. Except for what I posted previously, that is.


Bob
 
FUNX725 said:
And is the TSP mentioned above: Tri-sodium Phosphate?...A banned chemical in over 20 States and partially banned in more than 15 others!!!
A hazardous material rating of 3: High/Serious...For health&safety!!
Click to expand...
TSP -> Algae Bloom (algae says "yum") -> Negative ecological impact

That's why it's banned...not because it's a toxic devil. Au contraire, it's not uncommon to find it listed as a food ingredient on the labels of many tasty treats. Not unlike many things in this world too much of a good thing is bad. TSP is highly basic. It doesn't take much to make a great cleaner, and a solution prepared for that purpose will clean the oils right out of your unprotected hands causing severe drying. Contact with TSP isn't going to poison you. Just avoid contact with mucous membranes and don't eat it (cleaning TSP isn't food grade and probably has other crap in it). For cleaning beer brewing equipment nothing works better and rinses residue free except for lye and that's something not worth messing with (the big brewers use lye to clean their stainless). For our cars, I'd wager that a lot of the detailing chemicals pose a far greater direct human hazard than TSP. TSP is harsh and it feeds algae. Other than that, meh. :dunno:

11Jetta said:
I have lost about the last bit of new car smell in my car and want it back :hungry:
Click to expand...
:iagree:


OP, find a car dealer willing to spray a solvent based interior sealant everywhere inside your car. I bet that'll take care of your new car smell. I'm sorry that one of the most intoxicatingly pleasant scents known to man gives you headaches. New car smell is one of the great pleasures in life!
 
Last edited:
Someone said using lexol on his leather got rid of the leather smell.

I have read that you can us charcoal to absorb odors .

I hated the smell of my first and olny new vehicle and drove with the windows open for a good month before all the toxics smelling odors were gone. Also left the windows open all day when I wasnt driving.
 
Rix6 said:
TSP -> Algae Bloom (algae says "yum") -> Negative ecological impact

That's why it's banned...not because it's a toxic devil. Au contraire, it's not uncommon to find it listed as a food ingredient on the labels of many tasty treats. Not unlike many things in this world too much of a good thing is bad. TSP is highly basic. It doesn't take much to make a great cleaner, and a solution prepared for that purpose will clean the oils right out of your unprotected hands causing severe drying. Contact with TSP isn't going to poison you. Just avoid contact with mucous membranes and don't eat it (cleaning TSP isn't food grade and probably has other crap in it). For cleaning beer brewing equipment nothing works better and rinses residue free except for lye and that's something not worth messing with (the big brewers use lye to clean their stainless). For our cars, I'd wager that a lot of the detailing chemicals pose a far greater direct human hazard than TSP. TSP is harsh and it feeds algae. Other than that, meh. :dunno:
Click to expand...

Thanks for your synopsis on TSP...

BUT...à l'inverse

It is indeed a poison!!

An excellent source and a good number to always have on hand at home (Industrial guidelines?...Must have it posted/readily available):
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222).

I still wouldn't recommend TSP for "getting rid of leather-sensitivities" for the OP...Others' opinions, evidently, will differ.


Bob
 
Well, this might help as it worked for me before. You can put some coffee powder on 2-3 small plates. Put on on the front and one on the back. That should be enough to remove the odor. Just my 0.001
 
Thanks to everyone who responded. It is, in fact, the odor from the leather and not the VOCs, that are causing both fatigue and headaches. I suffer from migraines, and they have always been triggered by strong odors, including perfumes and the odor of a new cars. Anything with a strong odor can set off the headaches.

If the car has cloth, I'm fine in it after about 2-3 months (headaches and fatigue are manageable) and odor is gone after 6-8 months, but if the car has leather, it can take betwee 1 and 2 years before the leather smell has dissipated to the point that it doesn't cause me any problems.

Deep Gloss Auto Salon said:
I seriously doubt it the leather smell giving you headaches. More than likely it is the voc related to interior trim surfaces out gassing...


Jason
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Thanks again for your reply.

I've owned about ten new cars in the last 12 years, including new vehicles that have cloth, MB-Tex (vinyl), and genuine leather. When I first had the experience, I assumed it must be something about that particular car (i.e., a freon leak, or some other kind of chemical contamination). It took about 6 months of test-driving various vehicles (and then visiting various doctors) before I finally determined that the problem was migraines triggered by strong odors. As time passed, there has been a lot of posts on this subject, and so I've learned that whily my experience is not common, its not unheard of, either.

As I said in another post, a cloth interior vehicle (and even better, a vinyl/MBtex) vehicle will be driveable for me about 6-8 months after purchase, but leather vehicles take significantly longer, because they smell for much longer time.

I've used the baking methods described in the quoted post and they do work. They don't really seem to have a negative effect on the lifespan of the interior. In fact, this baking is a pretty normal environment for cars that are used in the California desert and in Nevada. I currently own a six year old Toyota Avalon that we parked outside during the day with the windows up, inside at night with the windows down (I add a fan to circulate the air), and then cleaned weekly using household cleaners. It now has 120,000 miles on it, two leaky CV boots, and a leaking power steering unit, but the interior is fine (except for all the crap my kid spilled in the back seat!).

It appears that whatever chemicals are used to create the leather odor tend to dissipate from the leather and then settle all over the inside of the car, and so cleaning the car regularly really does reduce the odor dramatically, for a little while. And as time passes the odor does reduce naturally, as well.

It would be nice to find a mechanical device to make the cleaning process easier. I currently use microfiber cloths to gently scrub off the built-up "stuff." Can anyone recommend a rotary tool/attachment that could be used in place of my hands?

FUNX725 said:
I wonder what happens to, or what the interior "materials" will look like, after all of the off-gassing has taken place during the 'normal-life-expectancy' of an interior's materials...
Let alone when this aging process has been accelerated by a 'Baking Method'?

And is the TSP mentioned above: Tri-sodium Phosphate?...A banned chemical in over 20 States and partially banned in more than 15 others!!!
A hazardous material rating of 3: High/Serious...For health&safety!!

I personally wouldn't recommend TSP's usage for/on anything, or by anyone!!!

Got to also wonder if this is the first new vehicle the OP has ever 'owned'...Out-gassing sensitivities surely would have been made self-evident, prior to this report, if that is indeed the case.

If the OP says it's leather causing his "problems", then I will not argue his position. Except for what I posted previously, that is.


Bob
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top