How to Get Rid of Leather Smell

The leather odors may be relatively easy to deal with on a small scale, but on a large scale they can seem altogether impossible. Good quality leather will smell quite strong for several years, really. So the real question that should be asked is: Are you sure you want to remove the leather smell from your leather products? Some people actually find the smell of leather rather sexy, and it's a good indicator that your leather is of high caliber. Who doesn't want to have that leathery smell on their leather items?

But to each his/her own, and if you'd rather that your leather product (whether it's a jacket, car upholstery, the sofa or even your handbag) smells something else entirely, then follow the tips and advice below. For what it's worth, you have something made of animal hide. You should probably expect it to smell like animal hide.

Leather Smell Removal

* The only true cure (sorry for that pun) for leather musk is age; wait for the smell to go away as the leather ages, that is. You could probably mask it with something else, but putting something on the leather will probably make it take longer for the smell to go away.

* Masking agents are often used to try and take care of problematic odors. The problem with a masking agent is it does just that, it "masks" or hides the leather odor; it will not remove it.

Masking agents are often oil based and can leave a residue on the materials being treated. Masking agents can also trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, such as runny noses and itchy watery eyes. A masking agent will also dissipate with time and it is possible that the original leather odor will return so use with caution.

Potpourri, air fresheners, The Body Shop Scents, a particularly fragrant shampoo, perfumes, lemon juice and whatnot are just some of the many examples you can use to mask that animal hide stench.

* You might want to go into a tack shop (horse supplies), if there's one nearby, and ask them for help. There are all sorts of leather conditioners and cleaners, and some of them can help cover the odor. Murphy's oil soap, which is always what cowboys used for cleaning saddles and boots, might also work (as well as making the leather shiny), but then again, many of those same cowboys are usually trying to keep the leather smell!

* On a small scale, leather odors can be removed by simply placing the offending article of clothing or leather product into an airtight container with baking soda for a few days. This restoration treatment however, may or may not work with this particular odor and it is certainly not possible to carry out on a large scale.

* Here's another baking soda trick; put your leather item in a bag/pillowcase. Sprinkle a liberal amount of bicarbonate soda in it. Fasten the bag up, give it a good shake, and then leave it in there for at least twenty-four hours. The baking soda should help absorb some of the odors.

* You can also put your leather item in a plastic bag with crumpled-up newspaper for a few days; it should absorb the odor. This is also part of the reason why some shoe stores put newspaper inside their leather shoe products (aside from avoiding the shoe to warp because of the hollow insides).

* Activated charcoal may work just as well as the newspaper method, but you don't want it to touch your leather item because it will ruin and stain its surface.

* You can also sponge the jacket down with ¼ cup of white vinegar to a bucket or sink of water. Sponge down your beloved leather jacket with the solution. Rinse afterwards, then apply the vinegar solution again, then rinse once more and hang to dry some place out of direct sunlight as heat can damage leather.

Vinegar will condition and clean leather and remove odors, or at least it will once its own sourness dissipates from your leather item. You can do this occasionally or when it gets heavily soiled.

* You can place pandan leaf on your smelly leather item as well. Pandan (P. amaryllifolius) leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking to add a distinct aroma to rice and curry dishes such as nasi lemak, kaya ('jam') preserves, and desserts such as pandan cake.

Fresh leaves are typically torn into strips, tied in a knot to facilitate removal, placed in the cooking liquid, then removed at the end of cooking. Dried leaves and bottled extract may be bought in some places.

* You can also substitute Febreze with most of the cleaning agents here. Febreze uses a chemical compound called cyclodextrin that has been used in household and custodial cleaning products for quite some time.

The sugar-like substance doesn't necessarily "clean" the leather odors out, but acts as an absorbent-like baking soda or crumpled newspaper, to help soak the leather odor out.

* You can also dip the leather apparel in a bucket of bleach, rubbing alcohol or an ammonia solution for about an hour. You will then find that the foul smell has been replaced by a lovely hospital smell that will certainly attract the nostrils of young gentlemen. A reapplication of leather conditioner afterwards may be necessary.

Here are some words of warning, though; make sure to do some colorfastness test on the leather to make sure it won't fade because of the bleach. It would also be advisable to use oxygen bleach instead of chlorine bleach to avoid fading and drying in the first place.

Leather FAQ

What is the difference between Full Grain, Top Grain, Genuine and Bonded leather?

All leather isn't equal and it is important to understand the differences when you are buying leather products. Leather is a natural material. It is strong, breathes, insulates and molds to your body. It is a combination of beauty and strength. Just how beautiful and how strong, however, are influenced by the hide source, cut and process.

* Full Grain Leather: This is the best leather money can buy. It is taken from the top layer of hide and shows the natural markings and grain of the leather. The natural surface of full grain leathers burnish and beautify with use. Full Grain Leather burnishes over time.

This is the exceptional leather used in thick leather goods and leather accessories. Top quality cow and water buffalo full grain leathers are extremely strong and durable. It is used in luxury briefcases and expensive saddles and bridles.

It's this type of leather that has the most 'musk' of all the other types. This sought after (or not-so-sought after) smell makes it distinct among all the rest.

* Top Grain Leather: This is the second highest grade of leather. Top grain leather is split from the top layer of blemished hide and is sanded and refinished. Top grain leather does not burnish and beautify with use, but it is as strong and durable as full grain leather.

* Bonded Leather: Bonded Leather is leather's bottom. Suede scraps are ground together with glue and resurfaced in a process similar to vinyl manufacture. Bonded leather is weak and degrades quickly with use.

* Genuine Leather: This is produced from the layers of hide that remain after the top is split off for the better grades. These weaker under layers are known as suede. (Don't be confused with the fuzzy finish also referred to as "suede.") The suede surface is usually refinished to resemble a higher grade. It can be smooth or rough. Caution: The inferior quality of genuine leather becomes evident with use.

Want to know more? You can read more tips on How to get rid of Leather Smell, plus information to get rid of practically anything else that ails you - from bad breath to telemarketers to cellulite - at http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com

London Fog All-Weather Coats

A black London Fog all-weather coat with its zip-out inner lining holds up well when the temperature drops in the Fall and then whenever ice and snow covers the ground. The inner lining provides added warmth. When, the weather turns to Spring the inner lining is removed.

The London Fog all-weather coat looks great with a long silk scarf hanging down the front of it from underneath the coat's collar.A scarf pin is used to secure it into place on windy days and then knotted at the ends. Plus, a pair of leather or suede gloves adds a sense of elegance to the all-weather coat's style.

The all-weather coat's fabric is water repellent and they are designed to go with urban wear in the form of shorter pea coats to wear over a pair of jeans or in the more classic tastes of a trench coat to protect dresses, a pair of wool dress pants or even a tailored suit.

The London Fog company established itself in nineteen twenty-seven and now has updated itself for the twenty-first century with an e-shop to order their latest styles and rain wear accessories. The prices are very reasonable and ordering online saves time from having to browse through the racks of a department store plus the cost of shipping is less that filling up the car with a tank of gasoline.

Caring for the all-weather garment is easy. First, unzip the all-weather coat's inner lining carefully working the loop attached to a button on the inside of the left coat's pocket. The washing machine cycle is set on hand-wash using the cold water wash and rinse cycle. Add about one-fourth cap of cold water detergent concentrate setting the permanent press cycle to let the machine wash it. Use the air-dry cycle on the clothes dryer for about ten minutes hanging the coat upon a clothes hanger to let it finish drying. The coat is pressed on a medium-low setting with a steam iron to smooth out any wrinkles. After attaching the coat back onto the left pocket and zipping the lining back inside it, the all-weather coat is once again ready to wear without the expense needed for a dry cleaning bill.

Losing weight in today's world is difficult, at http://www.chill6100.wordpress.com Dieter's Quandary are some recipes and helpful tips to lose weight and keep it off.

Everybody Poops - What Your Poop May Be Trying to Tell You

I have to admit up front, this is going to be the crappiest article I've ever written.

You see, as I was walking my dogs Marty and Rosie the other day, it occurred to me that poop plays a huge role in my life. I'm not afraid to admit it. I pick up after my dogs every day, I scoop my cat's litter box every day (OK, not EVERY day, but it certainly feels that way), and I talk with my clients about their bowel movements. In fact, while I was in India this past summer, poop was actually the number one topic of conversation between my colleagues and me, as we compared notes on who had diarrhea and who was still healthy. I even remained on "poop watch," for several weeks after my return to the States, making sure that everything was OK (and thankfully, it was!)

So, if you are a pet owner, parent, health care professional, or world traveler, you probably know what I mean!

But many people don't get to talk about poop as much as I do. I know this because when I ask people about their poop, I often get blank stares and uncomfortable looks. So, I let's talk about all of the questions that people want answered but are usually afraid to ask. After all, your poop is an important indicator of your overall health!

What is Poop?

Have you ever wondered what poop actually is? About 75% of your average poop is water, although this will vary depending on the person. Water is absorbed out of fecal material as it passes through the large intestine, so the longer you take to "go," the drier your poop will be.

The remaining 25% is comprised of dead bacteria that helped us digest our food, living bacteria, protein, undigested food residue (also known as fiber), waste material from food, cellular linings, fats, cholesterol, salts, protein, and substances released from the liver and the intestines (such as mucus).

What Makes a Healthy Poop?

Your feces are a clear indicator of the health of your gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Mehmet Oz says, "At the end of the day you can analyze your body really effectively by looking at what comes out of your body."

So what should you look for? A healthy poop will be:

• 
  Golden brown, which is due to pigments formed by the bacteria in the gut and bile from the liver. You want to make sure the color is normal because that tells you a lot about what's going on in your gastrointestinal tract (more on color below).


• 
  Formed into one long shape. Dr. Michael Levitt, an Australian colorectal surgeon who has written a book called The Bowel Book, says that the healthy human stool resembles the shape and consistency (although not the same color) of an unripe banana. Dr. Oz says " You don't want [pieces]." Some experts disagree, saying they don't have to be well- formed. Patrick Donovan, N.D., a naturopath in Seattle, WA says "Stools don't have to be well- formed logs. They can disperse in the toilet water; they can break down."


• 
  Nearly odorless.


• 
  About 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 18 inches long.

What About Other Colors?

Sometimes we don't see that "golden guru," and are faced with something else instead. Here's some insight into what those other colors might mean.

• 
  Black: Feces can be black if dried blood is present in it from internal bleeding in the upper digestive tract. See a doctor if this is the case.


• 
  Very Dark Brown: Drinking wine the night before may result in dark brown poop. This could also be the result of eating too much salt, or not enough vegetables.


• 
  Yellow: One condition that can cause yellow poop is an infection known as giardia, a dangerous infection that can spread to others. Another cause of yellow poop may be a condition known as Gilbert's syndrome. See your doctor if you are consistently seeing yellow poop.


• 
  Green: Babies often have green poop when they are given food for the first time. Children may have green or blue poop from certain illnesses or from ingesting food colorings. Adults may also have green poop if they eat large amounts of green, leafy vegetables or if they eat large amounts of foods with green food coloring. Light green poop may indicate excessive sugar in the diet. Green feces can also occur with diarrhea if bile salts pass through the intestine unchanged. Again, see a doctor if you are concerned!


• 
  White/pale: Feces can appear white or pale after drinking barium sulfate, which is often given to patients getting an X-ray of the digestive tract. A white or pale stool may also be an indication of problems with the gallbladder or liver.


• 
  Red: Bright red in the feces may be indicative of active bleeding, possibly the result of hemorrhoids. A magenta color may result form eating intense red food coloring, or red foods such as beets.

How Often Should I Poop?

Ah - the big question! Experts disagree on how often a person should poop. The National Institute for Diabetes, Kidney, and Digestive Diseases says three times a week is normal and healthy for some people. According to Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system, once a day is ideal. Other experts advocate once or twice a day, while still others say a person should have a bowel movement within two to three hours of a major meal- -or two to three times a day. So you can see that it really depends on who you talk to. My personal opinion is that you above all want to be regular in your pooping schedule, and that one poop a day is ideal.

When someone poops four times a day or more and the poop has a liquid consistency, this is referred to as diarrhea. When someone poops less than two or three days a week and the poop is hard, dry, and difficult to pass, this is known as constipation.

What's the Deal with Corn?

It's funny, so it's ok to laugh. But most people I know have experienced it and they ask why it is that when you eat corn, the next time you poop there it is again! There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that most of us do not thoroughly chew our food. Another interesting tidbit I've learned that there is an outer coating on corn that is made up of indigestible cellulose. This outer coating slips off the inner kernel and, since it's indigestible, passes through the gut intact. It then emerges looking like a whole kernel, even though it's just the outer skin. The inside of the kernel is starchy and digestible, and that is the part that we succeed in chewing and digesting.

Well, hopefully you know now a lot more about this important topic. And that's the scoop on poop!

The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Julia Kalish, eRYT-500 is a Certified Nutritionist and Yoga Teacher in Herndon, VA. She is the owner of Double Dog Yoga in Herndon, which specializes in beginner-level vinyasa yoga instruction in both small groups and one-on-one. Double Dog also offers classes for the experienced yoga practitioner at their Herndon location. To contact Julia, email her at julia@doubledogyoga.com, or visit her website at http://www.doubledogyoga.com The content of this article may be used without special permission; provided it is used for nonprofit purposes and full attribution and contact information for Julia Kalish is given. For other purposes, contact Julia Kalish at julia@doubledogyoga.com