Leather smells like cat pee?

[Hexram]

Hey guys,

 

recently came into a reasonable amount of leather that is maybe 10 to 40 years old. It had a smell that I thought might have been cat pee. I have soaked it in a mix of vinegar and water to get rid of the smell but it did not solve the problem making me think it is not cat pee. Does leather ever smell funny like that?

 

any advice would be great. Thanks.

[fredk]

dunno about 'cats pee' smell. Its not a scent I know too well.  But, yes, some leathers do have odd scents. I have some that has such a strong bad scent I can't keep it near me for too long. It might have something to do with where the leather originated and their method of tanning

Can you, or are you able, to hang the leathers up some place where they can get a lot of air circulating around them?. A real way-out suggestion; hang them up and have a big barbie. Let the smoke from the barbie circulate around them

[Handstitched]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

dunno about 'cats pee' smell. Its not a scent I know too well

Unfortunately I do, I have two cats .  If my memory is correct, this has come up once before somewhere on here.  Can't remember what method was used to eradicate  the smell. 

Where it was stored and how it was stored may be a factor as well . 

HS

[Littlef]

vinegar and water is a common treatment.  mix it with water 50/50.  There are also enzymatic treatments sold at hardware stores and maybe pet supply stores.  (I think the enzyme treatments work better.)  In both cases I would test a small spot on the leather to see how it reacts with coloration.    Then I'd hang it somewhere it can air out.  - for days.  It might work and it might not.  I've rehabbed houses with horrible cat pee odors.  Some have cleaned up.  I've had others where we gutted sheetrock, insulation, treated the slab, and sealed it, and the odor still came back.  

Edited September 24, 2023 by Littlef

[bruce johnson]

      As mentioned tannage can play a part and everyone wants to blame tanners in 3rd world countries that use urea or urine. Maybe some still do but some of the chemicals and bark sources are similar and can give that odor. If it is truly cat pee and pretty well permeated into the leather, you can spend time and materials to clean it with maybe so-so results. You can consider the time involved  and toss it to use something fresh that you and ultimately customers wont find offensive. 10-40 year leather is harder to work generally unless it has been stored really well. Smelling like cat pee tells me it hasn't. 

     I've been to shops where the shop cat(s) are not the most litter box trained beast. Eventually everything catches that odor - tools, boxes, packing material besides leather. I have had packages from one place intercepted and inspected because they smelled of urine and drug inspection dogs hit on them - just like smuggling drugs and trying to mask it with coffee.

[Northmount]

I've cleaned nasty smelling hides with liquid saddle soap, soaked well and rinsed well after that.