Cleaning question for leather half chaps... removing odor?

Aw man, that's terrible! Cat pee is the worst smell ever. I've washed my leather chaps once, here's what I did: Don't put your chaps in the washing machine, it's too hot even on the gentle cycle. Use some baby shampoo, something that is really gentle and won't strip the oils out of the leather. Rub it in well and then rinse under cool water until all the soap is out. Lay them flat to dry, and don't put them near a heat source such as a fireplace or heater to speed drying, it will stiffen and crack the leather. After they dry, put some leather conditioner on them and rub it in well to restore the softness and oil moisture to the leather. They might be a bit stiff the next time you wear them, but they will come back with use.

Hope you get that smell out! (Stupid cat.)

:D

I had a really lovely pair of Kentucky full leather seat breeches that one of the barn cat's peed on. He was fixed, but I could never get the smell out after 4 years of trying. I tried washing them in every leather wash available, used vinegar of several kinds, saddle soaped them, left them in the sun for a week, and then just time hung up in the basement for years. Everytime I would try to wear them, the stick would reappear, and rub off on my boots and saddle faintly.

I finally had to give up and throw them away, but nowadays, I would try a few other things as well. Wet the leather and make a paste of some oxiclean and lysol. let it set several days, brush off or wash with leather wash.

I'd also try what I now use for the dogs and horses that get skunked--wet thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide, then rub baking soda into the leather and let dry a couple days and brush off. It works like a dream on my fuzzy friends, so it would be worth a try on the chaps. The price is right too, and it certainly won't hurt the hide.

I wish you luck. I hope you have more than I did with my $250 breeches!

Cat pee is the worst smell! and can be difficult to remove.. There are many products on the market for this, but honestly they never seem to get rid of the smell 100%. White Vinegar is time-tested and proven to be effective in ridding the area of the smell.

I had a similar situation (LOTS of cats in the area ,lol) and this worked great:

Mix 1part white vinegar & 2parts water (room temperature). Spray the effected area and let it sit briefly. After that, hand wash the area with COLD water and a very mild soap if necessary. I have used this solution on leather many times, and it has never damaged the leather or left any discoloration.

Good Luck!:)

Throw them in the washing machine with some gentle detergent, maybe the Arm & Hammer stuff, made to kill odors. While they're still wet, use something along the lines of Lexol conditioner to keep them soft. Set them out to dry. They may still be a little stiff when they dry, but they'll soften up with conditioning and use.

ADD: Washing it is okay, as long as you don't too it too often. They also make a leather wash, I'm just not sure it's going to cut out odor as well as the A&H. It does say it has a "refreshing fragrance" though, so maybe. Check it out, I've used it and been happy with it: http://www.leathertherapy.com/index.php?main_page=...

COLD water washing please!!!! Hot water will shrink them majorly!

1

try scubbing them with warm/hot water and fairy liquid, if the smell is still there, wait for them to dry then do the same but scrub them with detol instead,,,, good luck !!!!