Belt Auction

how do i get mildew smell out of leather?

A fire occurred at a flea market. Apparently all the goods were exposed not only to the smoke, but also to the steam. My friend purchased a leather belt and some cloth gloves a few weeks after the fire. They were in plastic packages. When we opened them, they smelled like mildew! They look fine. How do I get rid of the smell without ruining the black leather on the belts?

Public Comments

1. You are going to have to have the belt professionally cleaned.
2. If they smell like mildew, they are probably covered with mildew spores which you will have to kill first. Put the belts out in the sun for a couple of days to kill the mildew. The mildew in the gloves will best be killed quickly with DampRids Mildew Remover for fabrics which you can find a Lowes home improvement centers in the cleaning aisle. You could try it in an inconspicous area with a soft cloth on the belts as well if it isn't too sunny where you are. Then to remove the mildew odor, put the items in a cardboard box (not plastic) along with some activated charcoal for a few days.
3. during the hottest days of summer, leave them sitting out in full sun, make sure to bring them in at night before it cools off. flip them over evry couple of hours.