How to Remove Smoke Smell from Leather: Cigarette Smoke and Fire Soot

To remove smoke smell from leather, first work out whether you are dealing with tobacco smoke or soot from a fire. Soot comes off dry with a vacuum before anything wet touches the leather.

After that, the steps are the same for both: air the item in the shade, wipe it lightly, then seal it in a bag or box with a dry absorber that does not touch the leather. Repeat until the smell is gone.

Skip ozone machines and scented sprays. One doesn't work at safe levels and the other only covers the smell.

This tutorial is part of our leather odor and mold guide.

Key takeaways- Fire soot: vacuum it off dry and early. Water drives soot deeper.- Tobacco smoke leaves a residue on surfaces. In a lab study, fabrics still held it 19 months later, so linings matter.- Keep charcoal, coffee or baking soda in a pouch next to the leather, never rubbed into it.- Sources disagree on vinegar, sunlight and ozone. This page shows both sides.

First: is it cigarette smoke or soot from a fire?

Used leather picks up smoke along with food, perfume and sweat, according to a leather odor-removal service. The kind of smoke changes the first step.

The lab study tested cotton and polyester, not leather. It still matters here: most jackets, bags and car seats have a fabric lining or backing that can hold the smell after the leather is clean.

Tools and materials

How to remove smoke smell from leather in 7 steps

Step 1: Gear up and work outside

For fire-damaged items, FEMA advises disposable gloves, goggles, long sleeves and an N95 mask. The EPA says children, older adults and people with heart or lung disease, including asthma, should not do ash cleanup. For tobacco smoke alone, gloves are enough.

Step 2: Vacuum soot off dry

Skip this step if there was no fire. If there was, vacuum the soot off as soon as you can, once the item is dry. FEMA's guidance, written with conservators, is to use a HEPA filter if possible on the lowest suction, with no brush, and to keep the nozzle just off the surface. Don't use water or any cleaning solution yet, because it drives soot deeper.

Handle the item as little as possible, since every touch grinds soot in. On sturdy leather, a dry soot sponge can lift more residue.

Step 3: Air it in the shade

Hang the item outdoors on a wide hanger in mild, dry weather, out of direct sun. A jacket retailer suggests one to three days in the shade for smoke. Unzip it and open the pockets so air reaches the lining.

Step 4: Wipe the outside lightly

On smooth, finished leather, wipe with a cloth that is damp, not wet, with a little mild soap, then dry the area right away. Test on a hidden spot first. Don't soak it: water can stain and stiffen leather. Brush suede and nubuck instead of using liquid.

Use a fragrance-free soap. A leather-care vendor warns that covering one smell with another usually makes things worse.

Step 5: Freshen the lining

Wipe the lining with lukewarm water and a few drops of mild detergent, keeping the liquid off the leather shell. A jacket retailer mists only the lining with 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water and lets it dry for a few hours. Vinegar on leather itself is disputed (see below). Dry the item at room temperature, never in a dryer; our guide to drying leather without damaging it has more.

Step 6: Seal it with an absorber

Put the item in a garment bag or closed box with a breathable pouch of dry activated charcoal or coffee grounds, kept off the leather. The retailer that suggests this leaves it for 48 to 72 hours, then airs the jacket for a few hours. For small items, a care vendor uses a pillowcase with baking soda overnight.

These timings are vendor claims, not test results. Keep powders off the leather surface: one vendor warns baking soda is abrasive on leather.

Step 7: Sniff, repeat, then decide

Check the smell after each cycle. The same retailer says heavy smoke may need two or three cycles, and that it's time for a professional after two failed home cycles.

For a general stale smell with no smoke, the 7-step odor ladder is the better fit. A coat that smells musty after storage has its own guide: how to remove musty smells from a leather coat.

Sofas, chairs and car seats

You can't put a sofa in a garment bag. On furniture, a leather-care vendor says smoke can sit in the cushioning under the leather, not just on the surface. Wipe the leather as in step 4, then air the room with open windows and a fan.

After a fire, extension guidance suggests steam cleaning for upholstery because it breaks down the tar and carbon film. That advice is written for fabric upholstery, not leather. Steam and water risk staining leather, so ask a professional leather cleaner about leather pieces.

Vinegar, ozone and sprays: what sources say

Why does smoke cling so hard? Our sister site explains whether leather absorbs smells.

When to hand it to a professional

Take it to a professional leather cleaner if the smell survives several absorber cycles. Normal dry cleaning is a different process: the store's care page says it strips leather's oils and can crack and shrink it.

For a precious item badly damaged by fire, FEMA points to conservators through the American Institute for Conservation. If firefighting water soaked the item, watch for mold and follow how to remove mold from leather.

Keep smoke out next time

Store leather in a ventilated room on a wide hanger, under a breathable cotton cover rather than plastic. Keep it out of rooms and cars where people smoke.

Leather Collection, the store behind this network, makes leather garments and does not sell deodorizers or cleaning products. Brands on this page are named only to report what they say.

Quick answers

Can you get cigarette smoke smell out of leather?

Start at home: air it, wipe it lightly, then run sealed absorber cycles. Tobacco residue can last a long time in fabrics, so treat the lining too, and go to a professional if home cycles fail.

What neutralizes the smell of smoke on leather?

No source we found shows a product that neutralizes smoke on leather. Removing residue and absorbing odor works better than masking it, according to extension guidance. Ozone is not effective at safe levels, according to the EPA.

How do you get smoke smell out of a leather purse?

Empty it, wipe the lining, then close it in a pillowcase with baking soda or in a box with a charcoal pouch. For a musty rather than smoky purse, see how to remove smells from leather.

Can you get smoke smell out of leather car seats?

Wipe the seats lightly, then air the car with the doors open. Smoke can sit in the padding under the leather, a vendor notes, so a professional leather cleaner may be needed for heavy smoke.