I just bought a foam filled leatherette suite. It has a damp smell. There is no way I can open and clean the interior. I have only had it one night, but it smells horrible. Will the smell go away in my centrally heated house? Any suggestions? Thanks.
By Joanna
I had just recently dealt with a situation where one of the rooms in my house received mild water damage. What I always find to work best for smell, especially on faux fabric surfaces, is baking soda.
Separate the cushions and pillows from the frame as best you can. Prepare a bucket of warm water with a heaping cup of baking soda mixed in. Use an old towel to moisten all of the surfaces of the faux leather, not leaving it too wet. For areas that are especially stinky, sprinkle some dry baking soda over it. Allow the baking soda to work for a few hours, then wipe the surfaces clean with a fresh towel, warm water and a little dish soap.
The baking soda should absorb most of the smell, unless it permeates through the foam filling as well. You could possibly sprinkle some baking soda inside the cushions if they are accessible. Baking soda is simply a life saver. Good luck!
I bought a Costco faux leather futon sofa - super musty odor; I first put a slather of baking soda all over it; then, I dragged it out in the sun for a few hours; still smelled! Then, I washed the soda off and applied white vinegar via soaked paper towels and kept the sofa in the sun the rest of the day. Wa-La! Smell is just about gone! Next time, I would nix the baking soda slather phase; it was messy to wipe off and did not seem to help; The pure vinegar did the trick/with the sun.
