What can you do to get smells out of a vintage sofa? Kendall writes:
Hi Pam,
I recently purchased a sweet turquoise sofa circa 1950ish. The upholstery is still in great condition with the exception of a tad bit of fading. However, it stinks… smells much like cat urine. I don’t really think that the smell is cat urine, rather I think it is simply due to the material and aging. I thought that I would be able to get the smell out by steam cleaning using an odor killing additive. But, to no avail. Have you heard of any tricks to removing the aged smell to old upholstery? Crossing my fingers that there is a cure!
Thanks!
Kendall
Gorgeous sofa, Kendall. But, I don’t know the answer to this one. As I’ve said before, buying a vintage sofa can be difficult for this reason, and because the upholstery — especially anything made of foam — can get all stiff. I would think, though, that smells *can* be tackled. So I’ll open this one up to reader: Readers, have you found solutions to this common problem?
How to protect vintage upholstery? Readers: What’s your experience & advice? 
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Kendall, although I don’t have any recommendations, will you update Pam (and us) about what ultimately works and what doesn’t work? I’m interested in hearing about the outcome.
I know this may sound weird, but I used to have a cat that peed on our car’s cloth, convertible top. We could NOT get the smell out. Our vet suggested using generic liquid douche, any sent except vinegar & water. Apparently the enzymes in the douche destroy the odor. I just rinsed the material with the douche then used a shop vac to suck the liquid up.
Aside from a complete overhaul of this sofa, there’s not a lot can be done. 60 years of human funk doesn’t wash out, steam out, or vacuum out with magic powder. It’s an awesome vintage sofa. They don’t make them like this anymore – built like tanks. If you’re not in the market for a costly re-upholster (labor ain’t cheap!) I would suggest dryer sheets under the cushions. It’s not a fix by any means, but it will certainly sweeten it up a bit!
-The NEST Upholsterer
I know this one!!!
You can go online and rent an ozone machine. (If you know someone that has one, even better, but I sure didn’t.) Put the machine in a room with the sofa, ideally in a room with a door and window that close, and leave it in there for about three days. I don’t know what the machine company will recommend, but that’s my personal recommendation.
Those machines work wonders. They suck the odors out of things, even carpeting, etc., so not only will your sofa smell better, your whole room will.
Hope that helps!
-Amber
Kendall – if it is cat urine, have you tried Nature’s Miracle? You can find it at most PetCo’s. Our local grocery store has even started to carry it. It somehow re-metabolizes things to kill odor. Good Luck!
Love this couch!
I am so grateful for this post. I bought a vintage sectional last month that smells like a wet dog and is worse when it is hot and humid out. I too steam cleaned with a pet odor cleaner. It got a little better but the smell is still there. I may try this ozone thing…
omg. this looks just like the sofa i grew up with except it was gold.love the updated accessories!nice!on your own use kids and pets cleaner for general mustiness in a basically clean sofa. otherwise get it professionally cleaned. if that fails reupolster.was intriqued by the ionizer comment.
Once a vintage dealer told me that she brings stinky couches to a diy car wash, soaps the entire thing up, hoses it down, done a few times, so that it’s soaked completely through and then lets it dry in the sun. Make sure the black fabric that is usually tacked on the bottom is removed, as the color will run on it, and it doesn’t really serve any purpose. Actually, I have had similar sofas and currently have a 2 pc version of this currently, and I always remove that black fabric on the bottom. Years ago I removed it on a pink couch, and a ton of mouse poop fell out, so now it’s a rule. Good luck!
Wow. I’m calling this a strategic gut. If it were me, I’d strip it, carefully, to save the cover fabric, clean the fabric and replace ALL the padding, because it’s the padding holding the smell.
The fabric may not be salvageable, but if that’s the case, it would break down fast with daily use anyway.
Don’t know what part of the country you’re in. Here in San Diego we have UFO, Upholstery Fabric Outlet and they have quite a variety of foam. I agree w/KM. try to preserve the fabric, but replace the guts.
might sound a bit odd but lemon juice & vinegar + a couple days out in the sunshine and fresh air does wonders.
Hi, I just recently bought an older sofa,beautiful and in good condition,but like you theres a smell,like old people on it. I seamed it, then I spread backing soda all over it and rubbed it in a little. I waited awhile then vacuumed it. Its much better. Backing soda absorbs alot. Repeat a few times,its alot of work but soon the odor will be gone…Enjoy
Just for God sake go and buy a new sofa. People feel more comfortable sitting on a new sofa than those vintage sofas. The old ones have the looks. But life is short. Enjoy a new sofa instead.
Get plenty of newspapers, open them up and place them on the sofa, all over (you may have use some string to hold newspapers in place on sides and back and front, etc.), wrap the seat cushions in newspapers. Make sure that you have at least 4 or more sheets of newspaper for each section your’re putting the newspapers on. Throw an old sheet or sofa cover over it all and let it just stay like that for at least two weeks. That should take out old smells. You may have to change the newspapers and do it all again, or for another two weeks just to be sure.
P.S.: Newspaper also get the old smell out of old books; place newspaper covering each page and leave it for at least a week.