HELP Musty Naugahyde couch HELP

[ConnetiCat]

I just bought a set of vintage Naugahyde furniture, and it smells musty. I've tried cleaning it with bleach, borax, vinegar and spraying it with Febreeze and a new product called Concrobium (which turns out to be mostly borax and water). The odd thing is...it's the actual vinyl that's stinky, not so much the interior. The cushions are zippered, and the interior foam doesn't smell, nor does the flannel lining of the vinyl. Everything inside is clean and white. What can I do? I'm ready to ditch this set.

[Joe]

The Naugahyde (probably not the genuine brand) is a cheap vinyl formulation made like the shower curtains of yesteryear from a vinyl resin and ester type plasticizer which is the source of the odor. After a few years the cheap smelly plasticizer will have evaporated, leaving the vinyl less odorous, but also brittle. Your furniture came on the market because the owners had it reupholstered and the shop used the cheap Naugahyde knockoff on the job. The solution to the problem is to take the set to a quality shop and select a new vinyl covering for a redo. But take a sample home and allow it to warm up and pass your sniff test before committing to the material. Consider leather as an alternative, too. Whatever, good luck.

Joe