smell on clothing

I wonder if something broke open in someone else's luggage and spilled on hers.

We're the clothes in her checked luggage?

It also could be some chemical released from her suitcase such as rainproofing, etc. or it may have come from someone else's suitcase that was near hers. Interesting to find out if there are chemicals sprayed. Did you google this or contact the airline?

Never heard of luggage being sprayed with anything. And the question would be, why? And if it was being done, it would be all over the internet. Look for a simpler answer.

Did she do any laundry in London?

Take a piece of clothing to your local dry cleaner, maybe they can figure it out.

Oliver Stone called, he said you sound paranoid.

Did she pack some unaired dry-cleaned clothes in the suitcase, the chemical smell can linger? The only time I have known luggage (and the passenger cabin!) being sprayed was when flying in to New Zealand a few years ago.

Thanks for all of the replies. I am going to take the coat to the dry cleaners to see what they think.

My guess would be that another suitcase in the cargo hold of the plane was found to have bugs, either an invasive species or bedbugs, and the whole lot of the suitcases was sprayed with a strong insecticide. Another guess is that the plane was carrying extra cargo in with the suitcases, and some type of fluid leaked out of a can or box with solvent or chemicals in it, and only the smell was absorbed by her luggage, not the liquid.