Help! This Camel Hide Bag Is Stinky.

[Miett]

Hello all! I have a friend who bought a camel hide bag. He was told it was cow hide, but it was actually that urine-tanned camel leather that vendors in India and such soak in salt water to tone down the smell for a couple days until you get it home. I told him to return it, but the vendor is gone now (surprise!) and my friend really loves the bag. Does anyone know any product or trick that will help remove or at least tone down the stench?

Here are the things he says he's tried:

Filling it with fishtank charcoal for a few days.

dousing it in baking soda and sealing it in a bag for three weeks

putting fabric softener sheets in it

It apparently still smells like pee so badly he has to leave it on the balcony.

I'd love to help him out if I can. I'm at a loss, but I figured this would be the perfect place to find expert help!

[immiketoo]

Yuck. Id google ways to neutralize urine odors and see if any of them are compatible with leather. Good luck!

[shtoink]

There is an enzyme based pet cleaner that I have used for our dogs. It does an excellent job, smells like vanilla, is pet friendly, and pretty cheap, too.

I don't know if other places carry it, but it can be found at Walmart for certain. The idea is that the urine is actually broken down into other, non-smelly, substances by the enzyme. I don't know how, or if, other similar products will work, but I can tell you that I swear by that very one that I linked to. I've used it in the cars, the kitchen, all sorts of places. I've even used in the washing machine to get rid of dog related accidents on the dog blankets. It has worked well every time.

I have tried several other enzyme cleaners, but everything else either didn't stand up to the task or choked me out with horrible perfumey stink. This stuff has a mild vanilla smell that dissipates to... well, nothing.

Hopefully it works, if you try it. I suppose anything is better than having your bag smell like a yak urinal. *shudders*

[DebHop]

I had a friend who's car was flooded a while back, I told her to sprinkle coffee in it and let it set for a few days. She said it worked great.

Your friend could also try the dry cleaners. They got cat uring smell out of a suede jacket for me once.

[Art]

OUT is pretty good stuff, and +1 on the dry cleaner after that. Last resort, put it in a large box with an Ozone generator. After the last resort, disassemble it, make patterns, build a new one, and burn the old one in the back yard.

Art

[immiketoo]

LOL@ your final solution!

[Zacharyc]

Okay. Your friend likes it...but it smells like pee so badly they have to put it on their balcony. I would just cut my losses. It was soaked in piss.

or just cut it up and measure the pieces. make a new one. again. it. was. soaked. in. piss.

[LeatherSmith68]

This is why you look for Made In America on the label or stamped in the leather.

[oldtimer]

Using an ozone generator is a very bad idea as it makes the leather to dry rot very fast !!!

/ Knut

Edited November 15, 2012 by oldtimer

[shtoink]

This is why you look for Made In America on the label or stamped in the leather.

You can have that added in for free when you order 100 units in China.

I couldn't resist...

[MADMAX22]

Okay. Your friend likes it...but it smells like pee so badly they have to put it on their balcony. I would just cut my losses. It was soaked in piss.

or just cut it up and measure the pieces. make a new one. again. it. was. soaked. in. piss.

Yeah and they use to tan leather with dog s*** lol.