Musty smell removal leather seats

[gte86]

I believe the carpets in my bmw have got wet before and the car smells a bit musty. I've had a heater in the car and used control crystals to dry the car. I've used carpet cleaner and it seems to have worked on the carpets.
Can leather absorb smells? If so how can I remove them? I've clean and treated the leather but it hasn't made a difference.
I'm going to try vinegar unless someone else has a better idea?
Thanks Tom

[comfortablynumb]

Got a horse supplies place nearby? I usually use saddle soap, might take a few applications but it usually gets them clean and smells far better

[vulgalour]

Leather can and will soak up smells, sometimes worse than carpets do. You might find there's a bit of mould lurking in the deeper recesses that's making the smell when the car gets damp or warm.

If you can, pull the seats out of the car, recline them fully, and get in there with suitable cleaners and follow up with conditioners. Allow to fully dry before reinstalling and, if possible, leave the seats in daylight for a while since that can help kill off some of the bacteria and moulds that cause the smell.

I'd avoid vinegar, the leather is going to absorb and hold onto that and there's few things that smell worse than hot leather seats that have soaked up vinegar that's gone sour. Vinegar can also dry out the leather which obviously you don't want.

An ozone generator can help if the smell is really stubborn.

[gte86]

Hopefully the car is going into the paintshop next to my work next week. I'll try pull the interior out while it's off the road