I receive a fair share of e-mails and I have to say, you guys are asking the BEST questions!
I LOVE answering your questions personally so don’t hesitate to write in!
With the growing number of e-mails, I’m starting to notice some questions popping-up again and again. To me, this indicates all of us Creative Furniture Re-Stylists have some common concerns. So, with your consent (the e-mailer’s), I think I’ll start posting and answering some of your questions here on the SI blog to benefit us all.
Thank you Sue in the Sunshine State for your excellent question.
[box] “Hi Denise, I was wondering if you could give me a tip on how to get the odor of mothballs out of fabulous furniture that I’m finding at thrift stores.
I live in Florida which enables me to put the furniture outside in the sun but it is also quite humid, so they don’t really like keeping the furniture outside for that reason.
Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much and I love the work that you do.”[/box]
To answer your question Sue, I’ll share the nastiest experiences I’ve ever had with a musty, moldy, mothballed dresser.
It was a vintage high-boy dresser I curb-shopped. This dresser was absolutely stunning and in perfect condition. (I wish I had taken a picture to show you)
Perfect in every way except for the stench of mold and mothballs that permeated and assaulted my nostrils the minute it was placed in the back of my van. If I was smart, I would have put it back where I found it.
Instead, I brought it home and it ended up sitting in the back of my garage for months while I tried to figure out how to get that awful old musty smell out of the wood.
I never did. All those awful musty odors were permeated right into the wood.
Now don’t let my story deter you. Depending on the wood and age of your furniture, removing musty smells (and this includes the old stench of mothballs) can be a challenge… but it can be done!
I’ve had other pieces which weren’t quite so bad and have had great success.
The key to getting rid of musty odors: It usually requires more than one solution and a lot of time and patience.
Here’s 5 Ways To Remove Musty Smells From Your Wood Furniture
1. Wipe and Clean
Bacteria and germs can permeate porous wood causing awful “old-smell” odors. To eliminate the smell, kill the bacteria and germs by cleaning the inside of the drawers and all surfaces with a sponge dampened with vinegar, Murphy’s Oil Wood Soap or any Anti-Fungal Detergents. Then let dry in a well ventilated area.
2. Vinegar & Other Odor Absorbing Substances
Fill a plastic or glass container/ bowl with vinegar and place in each drawer. Close the drawers and wait a few days to see if the vinegar absorbs the odor. Other odor absorbing substances like charcoal, coffee grounds, kitty liter or baking soda may also help.
3. Natural Sun Light / Dehumidify
Porous wood absorbs moisture and smells from it’s surrounding environment. If your piece smells like a thrift store or old attic, try leaving the piece to dry out in the natural sun light. If you live in a humid environment, try placing your piece with a dehumidifier in a small enclosed room. Leave it running for a few days to suck the moisture and odors out of the wood.
4. Strip and Sand
Strip and sand the piece. If the odors are caught in the original finish, this will help by removing the finish and letting the natural wood breath. If there is still a slight odor after stripping and sanding, using method #2. The odor absorbing substance should get rid of any remaining unpleasantness.
5. Bleach or Vodka
Put bleach or cheap vodka into a spray bottle and mist the entire piece inside and out. Then leave it in the sunshine or another moisture free area to completely dry. This will help disinfect and eliminate odors.
So how did my nasty experience with “high-boy” end… I re-claimed the gorgeous hardware and put the piece out on my curb for garbage collection.
The interesting part of the story is even with missing hardware, someone curbed-shopped it from MY driveway! I really hope they had better luck removing the odors than I did. I’d love to think that stunning piece got a new lease on life and is sitting pretty in someone’s home.
Once again, thank you Sue for this great question.
If you have any other methods of Getting Rid Of Mothball Smell & Other Musty Odors… PLEASE PLEASE SHARE! I would love to learn more techniques so next time I can be the one to save the “high-boy”.
Have the best day!
Denise x
Hello again... I'm so happy you dropped by! Let's keep in touch! Follow me on social media or sign up for a dose of furniture painting inspiration and diy tutorials. :) 
HI! I am cleaning up my parents home (who are now deceased) which has had no ventilation all summer. The antique furniture is beginning to show mildew spots on them and I was hoping to find a way to clean them all so I can prepare to sell the pieces. I am looking forward to using this process to clean these items. Thank you for posting this information!!!
Hi Donna! That’s not an easy task, I know first hand.😟 Good luck and I hope everything cleans up nicely and goes to great people who appreciate them.
Thank you for these tips!! I will definitely try them as I found a lovely little cupboard in my back lane where I live. I brought it in and bleached and scrubbed it down. I then sanded it and painted it hoping that would be enough for the smell. Unfortunately it wasn’t. Think I’m going to put dryer sheets in the drawers and definitely vinegar !! Would be a shame to waste a beautiful piece of furniture when it would fit quite nicely in my office with some plants and a candle.
I sprayed all the inside of my piece with shellac. That really helped !
Hi Denise!
I had the same issue with a old dresser. I went crazy.
I made a well diluted bleach water and applied it inside the furniture and inside the drawers and left it sitting for about 20 minutes. So I used the garden hose, rinsed it very well and left it outside to dry. I diluted some paint and I used the power paint and applied it inside the furniture and drawers. The result was incredible, lol.
Thanks for sharing Silvana!!
I bought a small dresser today. Lovely. Didn’t realize till I got it home and opened a drawer how mildewy it smelled, Will try hydrogen peroxide first.
I’ve just bought an absolutely vintage wooden kisk and it I has a very strong musty odour . I will try some of these tips and let you all know how it goes .
Jane
Scotland
Good luck Jane and I’d love to hear how it works out for you. 🙂
I guess it’s just me, but I live the smell of musty wooden furniture! LOL It reminds me of summers at the beach house. I have an extraordinary sense of smell. Not sure if it comes with being an empath, or due to a Pituitary Tumor I have, but it has it’s good and bad points. Every smell sparks a memory, good, bad or indifferent. The hardest part is going shopping. By the time I get to the checkout line, I am sniffing and have a headache. Just the other day the customer behind me asked if the tissues on the end of the counter were mine? I said that they were, I left them for last as I needed them now. I told her I was allergic to people. She pointed at her teenaged daughter, and said that she was too! I looked at her daughter who smiled meekly. at me. She was in all black, with her hair covering most of her face. I said, “Oh…not that kind of allergy, but I know them well as my son also has them. The girl smiled again. I sniffed and left with my tissues. LOL
As for getting rid of nasty odors…our gorgeous house has Saltillo Tile throughout it, to include the laundry room. Shortly after moving in, I discovered that is where the kept the cat box. I tried everything to get rid out the odor, to no avail. I even had the tiles resealed…still there. I recently purchased a product from Amazon called “OUT! Advanced Severe Urine Destroyer, and it works! I have tried other enzymatic cleaners, but this one is the best. I imagine it might help any odors, but I won’t be using it on musty drawers! 😂
Sorry so long, I was waiting for paint to dry.
*love (not live) 🙄
You come and have a chat ANYTIME your paint is drying MJ… love this! Thanks for the tip on the Amazon OUT. 🙂
Hello Denise !
I got rid of old tobacco smell in an old furniture from India and skunk spraying under the house which came in through the heating ducts … with natural charcoal pieces in all drawers in opened shoe boxes , paper bags … , changed them once after a while …put some fresh ones in . I don’t remember how long it took for each ( a couple of months ) but it worked very well ..
Make sure the charcoal powdery broken pieces don’t fall out of your containers , it makes a mess !
Good luck everyone !!!
Hi Catherine!:) If charcoal can get rid of skunk smell, I’m sure it can get rid of anything. Thanks for sharing this!! XO
Where did you get the charcoal ?
BBQ charcoal works.
I know everyone, myself included, likes to use as many natural things as possible. I have a piece that has old perfume smell that is awful! I tried coffee, cleaning, leaving in the sun….I finally resorted to a Kilz oil based primer. One coat is all it took. I’m really happy that it won’t be coming back!
This is what I used for a musty smelling piece I got for free.. I used a shellac-based primer .on the entire inside of the piece, painted everything (inside and out, and then sealed it all for durability. It Melli’s like a brand new factory finished piece! However, I will say that vinegar in the bowl left overnight truly works wonders to eliminate musty odors.
Hi! I’ve found these comments extremely helpful. I inherited a lovely dresser and night stands from my grandmother but when I got them to my apartment realized that they carried with them 60 years of mold/mildew from her home. It was always a joke that her home reeked of mold but now it’s in my home and I’m kind of panicking. They are veneered on the outside and have unfinished wood inside. I am going to try mixing vinegar and tea tree oil to thoroughly clean the inside. However, my biggest worry is that this odor will permeate through my entire apartment and spread mold to other pieces of furniture. I keep reading about airborne mold spores and I’m wondering if I clean these whether it will cause the mold spores to be airborne and land on other things. Can anyone share their experience with this? I put only the mirror from the dresser in the closet and now the entire closet reeks of this musty smell. Any wisdom from those with years of experience this would be helpful. Trying to decide whether to keep or get rid of these.
Spray it heavily with Lysol mold and mildew spray and let dry. Then clean with soap and water.
So after reading some more and calling a local mold removal place I decided to use 50% water/50% alcohol with a few drops of Dawn. It didn’t do anything to the smell. I think I might try the enzyme cleaner someone recommended. Anything to keep in mind when trying this?
I use Lysol too. Works pretty good but, sometimes requires and additional treatment.
Hi. I use vinegar and water spray on mold. I move to dry place and have kept for months and no mold has returned.
Hello I am not sure if you ended up having success, but I just wanted to comment that mold is very toxic, even old furniture shouldn’t be kept indoors if it has the slightest sign or smell of mold. You can research toxic mold illness. I am home decor blogger and antiques dealer, I ended up getting long term illness from dragging in these types of pieces into my home that was already dealing with some moisture issues. The old furniture released mold spores into the air, and things got so bad we eventually had to move. No piece of furniture or decor is worth it! Years later I am recovering and just now buying and restoring furniture again, but I never bring any in my home that smell in the slightest. I always let the furniture sit in the sun for severeal days when possible. I use a mask and gloves and clean all furniture oudoors with vinegar or denatured alchohol.I either paint it with kilz before using a decorative paint finish or strip it and start over from scratch with a stain that is going to seal in any odors that may possibly linger. I agree that chalk paint does seem to seal in odors better than regular latex or craft paints. So far these methods have well for me. Good luck!
Hi,
i have reasonably new furniture. E.g. IKEA Hemnes chest of drawers. We bought an new house in the autumn (North of England) and we probably have bad ventilation in the rooms. So, this spring I have noticed some furniture that is made of wood to start emitting an acrid smell. The IKEA chest of drawers seems to have just one drawer that smells like this. It is not mold or moth balls. I understand there is some kind of bacteria or fungus that can take hold of wood – you get this smell in very old houses that are made of wood and have all wood furnishings. Will there be a product in the shops to sort this out? I am in England, so if you can recommend anything, then it might be best to mention an active ingredient and not necessarily a brand. I have just wiped some of the furniture down with pure vinegar and they are now drying. Thank you.
Try OdorXit Magic. Odor Neutralizer odorxit.com It comes in several forms as liquid, powder, pouches, etc. It absorbs odors caused by pet/ human urine, feces, vomit,, pet scent markings spray, mold, mildew,dead animals, fish,, and lots more.
I sprayed it outside and inside an oak file cabinet with cigarette odor. It took a couple times but odor disappeared. Can also be used on carpet, leather, plastic, refrigerators, etc.
I will poly urethane the inside of wood pieces on all surfaces after cleaning well with murphy’s soap. It seals all wood and the smell is forever gone.
I was hoping someone would come up with that solution. I actually just got a call from a new renter that can’t stand the smell of our lake cottage and wants us to do something about it or she’s moving. She thinks it’s coming from the two dressers in the bedrooms. I knew they smelled awful when you opened the drawers, so I never opened them. Now I have to do something with them or I lose a renter. I had read that coating everything with poly inside and out would work, and I hated to go to all the trouble only to have it reek thru again. Thank You…I’m off to buy a gallon and several brushes!!!
I use whole cloves and put in some drawers that smelled moldy and then after that It took the smell away and it you don’t want to do that you can get clove oil and put it in a spray bottle and wipe it down and let it set. Clove with take a while to do the trick but it will work really good.
NO NO NO!!! I once heard a segment that Martha Stewart did, regarding how antique dealers clean high end antiques and fortunately remembered after I had tried virtually everything prior. I tried all of the remedies mentioned above. The only one that worked was her tip. Get 100 Proof Vodka. Cheapest bottle you can find…..mine cost about $5. Saturate a rag with it and begin wiping down your furniture. All drawers wood inside and out. You will literally see the wet wood dry right before your eyes as you wipe it down.. It worked, and to this day I can open any drawer or door, and it has a clean smell, and it was done about 18 yrs ago.! I’ve given some to several people and it has worked for them also..
Wouldn’t 97% isopropyl alcohol do?
it might, but you need to use it in a VERY well ventilated area, and I’d never use it neat. My partner and I run an vinyl record shop, and records often come in mouldy and smelly. we have a professional record cleaning machine, and bought isopropyl alcohol to use (diluted with water in a spray bottle) to apply to the records before they went on the machine. Great results, but too strong a mixture and not enough ventilation, partner and then I had a serious cough for weeks, only realised what was causing it after a visit to the emergency room as we were both having trouble breathing, Turned out the mix was too strong at 50/50 and should have been 9- parts water to 1 part isopropyl alcohol!! Stop using it and switched to an eco friendly cleaner and no further problems, but please advise, use with CAUTION!!! Its strong stuff.
Thank you So much!! I will buy some Vodka tomorrow 😁 So are you sure I can clean the wood with it? I was only going to clean inside the Drawers. Please don’t 🤗
I had the same problem with an old buffet table and a china cabinet. I poured fresh coffee grounds in several bowls and set them inside the drawers and cabinets. It did the trick.
Hi Susan, I’m about to embark on a similar project with a wood china cabinet. Did you wipe down the cabinet first, or did you do the coffee grounds only?
I used coffee grounds on a freezer given to me that had a horrible rotten meat smell. I spread coffee grounds on single sheets of newspaper and put on the shelves. it took about 2 days but it worked!!!!
After reading many of the comments here I decided to try the pet odor remover. I picked up a spray bottle of oxy odor eliminater by up&up at my local Target for under $5. This worked like a charm! I was dealing with a piece that had been sanded and cleaned and still smelled awlful. I had tried the bleach washing to know avail. I simply sprayed this on the entire piece and let it sit to dry overnight. It was like magic.
Just finished a fabulous dresser but drawers smelled awful. Over a span of two weeks I washed with TSP. Then baking sofa and vinegar. For 2 weeks I kept a bowl of baking Sosa and vinegar and s bounce sheet in each drawer. Finally I Decoupaged the drawer bottoms. It seemed to do the trick and the odours ate gone!
I have had luck with a lot of these methods. For that super smelly musty mothballs smell that nothing seems to touch, my go to is a spray of distilled water and tea tree oil. I mix the 2 together in a spray bottle. I wash the furniture first then spray it down. I let it sit for a while then wipe dry. The strength of the mix will depend on the strength of the smell. Sometimes I use 10-15 drops, some times I use more and sometimes I have to spray it again, but it usually does the trick
Love this… great tip! Thank YOU!
Hi, just tried rubbing alcohol 70% two times. Works great to get rid of vinegar or Lysol’s smell. But the old wood smell is still there, diminished thus after all those essays. About to go get polyurethane sealant…. Don’t seem to have a choice if I want to keep my grand-parent’s bedroom furniture from the 50’s. Thanks for the advice and cheers!
Update: applied shellac gomme lacque. Problem solved.
That is exactly what I had to do to piece I absolutely wanted to save. Worked like a charm!
I have been restoring antique furniture professionally for 47 years., and have encountered just about everything.. A customer recently brought me an old desk to refinish,. It had the worst musty smell I have encountered., – coming from the interior secondary woods – the poplar drawer slides. Tried the usual vinegar, bleach and other remedies. Finally tried a product that I purchased on ebay – a quart of Anti Sticky Poo – its made for cat urine remediation. Worked like a charm. and I recommend it. Once the piece dries out I will coat the interior surfaces with polyurethane floor varnish.. Cat urine smells that have wicked into furniture can often be remediated by cleaning and when dry coating the surface with a thick coat of shellac or varnish. Hope you find my tip useful..
This comment is interesting timing Johnny! My sister was JUST telling me that one of her co-workers highly recommends this product for cat/pet odors. I never would have thought to use it on furniture. Thanks for this!
Vinegar is my go to. I usually will mix in a few drops of a good smelling essential oil to help eliminate the vinegar reminiscence.
Has anyone tried an Ozonator? This is usually the very reason Ozonators are utilized.
I did. I have an ozone shock machine and left it on for several hours directed toward a must set of drawers. Did this 3 times and it did NOT work.
Hi, I’m usually a voyeur on these sites, not a commenter, but I couldn’t help but comment on this one. I bought an MCM Lane chest a few years back intending to use it at the foot of my bed as a bench with an added feature of storing bed linens and extra pillows. When I got it home and opened it, I found that it was a mothball cemetery, where old mothballs go to die! The outside had no odor, but the minute you opened it, the smell would make you go running out of the room. Why would anyone put mothballs in a cedar-lined chest? I kept the chest as a bench at the end of our bed but kept it closed, defeating the original purpose. Two years ago, I got turned on to essential oils, so I decided to use a blend of the oils that are known to knock out odors. I use Young Living oils so other brands may be named something different. Here’s what I mixed in a spray bottle. Ten ounces water, 1/2 oz witch hazel, 5 drops Purification, 5 drops lemon, 3 drops Peppermint and 8 drops Thieves. We took the chest outside on a sunny day.and sprayed the inside generously with the mixture. It sat open in the sunshine for half the day. The smell wasn’t completely gone, but it was much improved. I sprayed it again and let it sit outside for a few more hours, then pulled it into our garage. Very lightly spraying it again, I closed the lid and left it overnight. The next morning, the smell was completely gone. It was amazing. Cedar isn’t the most penetrable wood around so It may have even quicker results on more porous woods. If you have those oils anyway, it’s worth a try.
Glenda, I’m so glad you shared this! I love essential oils (they work their magic on numerous things!) so I’m so grateful you shared this with everyone. 🙂
What was the witch hazel for?
The witch hazel helps the essential oils and water stay mixed instead of separated. =
You can also buy cedar oil which works well too
Very good aгticlе. I love this
website. Thanks!
To get rid of really bad moldy smell in wood furniture –
The source of the mold spore gets into tiny crevices inside the porous wood. Nothing you spray on the outside will be able to penetrate inside to reach the hidden mold. The next time you have a humid day, the mold will start to regrow. It will grow outside of it’s crevice or pore, and the smell will be back. Mold needs oxygen to grow. The only way to stop growth is to permanently cut off its supply of oxygen. Thoroughly clean the pieces, inside and out. Let the piece dry after cleaning. Lightly sand it without ruining it. Cover the entire piece with polyurethane if that’s the type of finish it had before, or pant it with mold resistant paint, if it was previously painted. You must completely cover every piece, both inside and outside. Polyurethane comes in clear coat now if you don’t want to change the color. If the inside and bottom of the drawers are unfinished, polyurethane will work great there. Your finish will seal off all the crevices and pores that the mold lives inside. The mold won’t be able to breath, so it won’t be able to grow back, and the smell will be gone.
To get rid of really bad moldy smell in wood furniture (continued) –
After you refinish the inside surfaces of your furniture, you might notice that the drawers stick and don’t slide smoothly (like an overly painted window frame). To make your drawers slide smoothly again, spread “bees wax” over the sliding surfaces to make it slip easier. Bees wax acts as a lubricant.
Well, I acquired a nice highbrow myselfto usee it for one of 3 grand daughters I raise. Brought it home only to find it smelled of must and mold. I tried everything except vinegar. The piece has stunk up my house. So since I live in the Great Oregon NW, it is incredibly moist year round and has few sunny warm days. I have put the high boy on my porch for now. Since I am am very stubborn older grandma and very into old ways, I am now trying the vinegar for a few days on my apt deck that is facing east. Morning sun. But, I am adding an additional ingredient, known to kill and eliminate mold. I have used this on walls before and it worked. I use a cup of white vinegar in a bowl and added 10 drops of Pure Tee tree Oil to the vinegar. Later I will mix up more in a spray bottle and give the high boy a thorough going over inside and out using a soft toothbrush to reach all cracks and crevices. If that doesn’t work, next step will be stripsanding and refinishinges and polyurethaning. I live and raise these girls on my Social Security so every penny is used to care for them. I have resorted to making almost all my home products from scratch as well as food. I was told I wouldn’t be able to do it by state chill care workers. Ha, that was 5 years go. No, not eas at all. But, these are my famity. Lost my hus and 12 years ago aND I don’t reget ta king on the’s children. . That being said, I am hoping this will work as I cannot afford them a dresser. At this time they are using 3 plastic 3 drawer Walmart dressers. So this is why I am dtermined to fix this highboy. If not I guess they will continue with plastic for the time being. Wish me luck.
So sorry for spelling errors. This device spell checks and Bo matter what I put it chanel words. Hope you can understand what I said.
if your the vinegar doesnt work, concrobium will solve the 0roblem, but its expensive. Try baking soda and water, which is basically the same thing., then seal insude drawers ad all interior surfaces with wipe on polyurethane you are positive it ia bone dry.. you may also need tp paint the exterior if the odor persists or use polyurethane…depending on the finish. Rub bees wax on the drawer slides and edges to prevent the drawers from sticking and rubbing off the sealant.
Thank You so much for this advice. You have settled a small dispute between my husband and I. I’ve been battling a musty smelling dresser for years (1930’s) All the washings and baking soda plus many other attempts are short lived. Two years is all Ive ever had without having to rewash and dry all over again! I wanted to try sealing it up with polyurethane and the husband didn’t think that would work. The wood on the inside of this dresser is raw pine so sealing it actually shouldn’t be and harder then anything else I tried 😉 Thanks Again! Pam Rado
Several years ago I purchased an old cedar chest with the musty / moth ball smell problem. After lightly washing down and letting completely dry, I sealed the inside surfaces with a urethane and let dry for several days. I have been using the chest ever since, no lingering smells.
if you use a mold inhibitor it will absorb into teh wood just as much as water will and when you dry it out the toxins are left inside the wood so should any moisture return teh moist wood wont allow spores to thrive. a bit like how they treat damp issues in houses you spray them with boron or pmethrin toxic stuff that absorbs into the wood and stops all manner of fungi. once the fungi are dead it shouldnt smell although it can small mightily while being treated.. bleach and vinegar are pretty mild so i would personally look for something for treating rotten floor boards if the smell was really bad. leave it as they ssay in a room to dry out and definitely not sand it down after treatment as the toxins that kill mold are worse even than mold itself. boron is not so bad so i always try to find that, pmethrin a tiny bit can kill a whole host of things from fish to pets. but they treat rotting windowsills in this way and it does get rid of the mold..
This definitely makes a great deal of sense.. I am wondering if Microbium has ever been successfully used on wood? IIt is an anti-mound product used for cleaning mould in basements. I wonder if something similar has been created specifically for wood?
Thanks for sharing these tips. Very good for what I need.
Someone mentioned about moldy smell in clothes I’ve had a lot of luck with using mouthwash in the washing machine this also works if you are someone who works in the food industry!! Also on the inside of drawers if you clean with bleach water and then I’ve washed with laundry detergent let dry REALLY well then use polycrylic to seal bc it doesn’t yellow over time.
I haven’t seen it after looking and looking!!but my question is Will any of the cleaning recommendations Voda,vinegar,sadlesoap ect. Harm the varnish finish on your old dressers,beds ect when you use them to take smoke an old smell out only.I don’t want to change the outside apearence atleast.
Your guiding principle will be to see what the solvent of your finish is. Of course it’s not always easy. Old furniture is frequently either shellac , which is thinned by ethyl alcohol, (see that vodka coming?) or varnish/laquer which is a grab bag term for shellacs or nitrocellulose (old movie film and tiny plastic toys) dissolved in (for the most part) lawyer thinner. Go get some Denatured Alcohol and some Lawuer Thinner from Home Depot (two solvents everyone should have) and test with a Cotten swab in an out of the way place. If the DA dissolves the Finnish it’s probably straight shellac so don’t use any alcohols. If the lawyer thinner dissolves it, it’s one of the varnishes so don’t use a petroleum based solvent.
Water and mild soap is always safe but if used on un-finished wood may raise the grain. Vinegar, lemon juice etc. is just acidic water and so won’t hurt a finish but if it can get to bare of stained wood may bleach it a little. Perhaps too much? I hope you’ll find it useful in lots of ways to know what finish you have if you hunt old furniture. Good luck!
Concrobium iin a fogger machine is a rhe best product to use if you are worried about damaging your finish. You can rent foggers and purchase Concrobium at mist hone depots I think. It’s basicllly liquid baking soda. It coats the odor causing agents, mold, etc abd seals it kills thr mold. Problem is if it gets wet, whatever is under will regrow. I usually wipe my items diwn with either the Concrobium and a rag ir wirh Hydrogen peroxide first, then fog. I test
How the product frst on the item. For example the glue on veneer or at joints gets too wet, it may release. In my case, thats ok, because i need to replace a lot of the veneeer that was irreparably damaged by the mold. Or was already missing in spots. Not ideal, but better than tossing my grandmother’s secretary desk….Each circumstance is different . There are some good sites that run through the hierarchy if remediation techniques for furniture. I’m dealing with a serious mold problem at my house !where the mokd got into my hvac system and has spread to most of my antique furniture! Good lick!
Try adding newspapers … this is an old resolution. I combined the newspaper idea with wiping down all wood surfaces with vinegar – take each drawer out, go inside the cabinet all the way to the back hard to reach places, turn piece upside down, get all surfaces! – AND – then setting (open) bowls of vinegar in each drawer for a few days. This combo has helped significantly(!); however, still a small lingering odor to address. I’m going to now try Clorox+water wipe down & setting in sun. Intend to introduce nicer scents from pretty boutique soaps in each drawer.
Love this! Thanks Debbie! xo
Yes thanks Debbie. This may be same for me.
Just found you. Thanks to you and everybody that had an idea how to remove odorous old wood smells. I’m going to try each until I get rid of mine. Martha
Hi Martha… Welcome to the SI Blog and good luck with your piece. 🙂
Now days it seems like everyone is painting all their furniture with milk or chalk paint and I have tried this method with excellent results. However, if you are painting old stinky furniture, after properly cleaning the furniture as mentioned above and allowing it to completely dry I recommend a lime based paint. The lime is a natural odor and mildew killer, although not as natural as milk or chalk it will save your pieces and it has a finish like no other.
Grt ideas!! I lvd it!! Our bedroom is fully furnished with wood work.. when i enter in room i get differnt smell its like wood died from inside and wet wood smell what should i do??? Plz help me out..
My mother swears that placing raw onions cut in half in a closet takes musty smells out of clothes. It may be worth trying this method in musty wood drawers.
How interesting! Sometimes it’s the simplest things we already have on hand that actually does the trick! Thanks for sharing Ruth!
Awesome. I love old school ips. Will try the onion.
I’m a big fan of vinegar but it doesn’t get the mold smell out of rv cupboards or my clothes
My friends mom used to put onion peels on her head to stop her eyes from burns no when she cut onions- did it work? Nope! It was the funniest thing to watch though! I make tables from driftwood I find in the ocean, obviously a very porous wood. Usually have to junk it if it won’t dry proper- give them away – free furniture- somebody is always stoked !
Thanks for the tips. I have seen also for a car that has been been a lot of smoke from cigaret, or pipe, place a coffee mug full of white vinegar, all windows closed leave all night (is cooler at night) depending on how long the vehicle has been smoked in you may have to do this several nights in a row, but it works. OR you can cut an apple, place it in plate and the car or room or any aning else for that matter will smell fresh and odor does not come back !! unles some one smokes in it again. Good luck, it should work on wood cabinets too.
Thanks for the tips Maria! I’ve used white vinegar for odours before (and it works!)… but this is the first time I’m hearing about an apple!
I have even peeled the apple and just used the peeling. Still works in a car and you can eat the apple, lol
Funny, reminded me of potpourri my mother and I used to make with agrums peels dried in a brown paper bag. We would also pierce old oranges and file the holes with clover pepper (clou de girofle in french). Leave the spiced orange on a radiator or anything heating and it smells wonderful.
I live in a permanently humid climate in PNG and can’t get the mildew smell out of cupboards and drawers in every room. I am constantly removing mould from bathroom tiles. is there anything I can do to get rid of the smell in cupboards and drawers when the air is never dry?
A good dehumidifier may help/work Rhonda. Here in Ontario, the summers can be quite humid. My Dad was having a problem with dampness in his basement. We bought him a dehumidifier and we were seriously shocked how much water it was pulling in from the air! This may not be the solution (you may have to pair it up with a few other methods mentioned above) but it really should help a lot. 🙂
How in the world does it not return when the humidity goes up? I have a dresser from a great grandmother. I desperately want to be able to keep it. I smell it just walking by it. ?
It occurs to me that after thouroughly cleaning and removing humidity, you might consider using a sealant.
Obviously the insides and underneath everything is the most important. Clear sealant, polyurethane (etc.), or paint might be the solution.
I bought a beautiful buffet for $5.00. It had sat in a garage where mice had gotten into drawers that I had to pry open. The drawers were full of old table clothes that the mice had used as bedding. Full of mice urine and dropping. Totally gross! I scrubbed with bleach water and let air out then stained the interior of the drawers. It has helped with the smell. Paint might be my next option. Maybe KILZ paint would work to block odors.
Before sealing, when dealing with mold/mildew (I live in Savannah so I know!) I LOVE the mold-removing house wash line in the bright green bottles at Home Depot- they are non-toxic and REALLY work
Rhonda,
Try to place a couple of Damp Rid bags around where it is humid. They really pull the moisture out! Karen
damp rid IS GREAT!
Just tried Sodium Bicarbonate solution on some musty stored furniture. Appears pretty good, and cheap it is too. Going to try Hydrogen Peroxide next, if it doesn’t do the whole job. These are nice for not leaving toxic residues, just freshness.
All surfaces of the wood must be “sealed”. The mold deep in the pores will regrow unless you deprive it of oxygen by sealing the pores. You can use clear polyurethane on unpainted wood, and on wood that previously had a polyurethane finish. If the drawer sticks afterwards, use “Bees Wax” to lubricate the sliding parts.
Great tutorial! I am really looking forward to trying this out. Thank you for the great and easy to follow instruction.
We moved into a seventy year old home and found the built in bathroom vanity ( still in great shape ), had an awfully pungent odor when I opened the drawers. Since it was unpainted wood on the inside, I knew whatever I used would have to penetrate the wood. Since odors are made by bacteria, what better product to use than something to kill germs than LYSOL? Sprayed inside the cabinet and drawers each day for a couple of weeks – but it did it! No more smell!
Thanks for sharing this Debbie. In all the comments and discussion, I don’t think Lysol was brought up once and it’s probably one of the more obvious choices isn’t it! 🙂
Lysol spray also removes permanent marker and ballpoint ink from walls, furniture, white boards and clothes….found this out when I was teaching! (Of course…test a small area.)
Also try hairspray gets ink from walls too 😊
I have not had the chance to try this yet… but ive been told if your painting something that has odors you can add a bottle of vanilla extract to a gallon of paint .. you cant smell the odors anymore and it takes a very long time for the vanilla to go away… (my mother in law watches DIY and heard his on the channel)
Ive heard this too! We need to give this a try!!! 🙂
Anti-microbial solutions for pet smells (urine, feces, etc.) available from pet and farm supplies sources are excellent for removing foul odors from all sorts of surfaces. “Zapzit” and “Anti Icky-Poo” are two that I have used with great success.
Some of the “secondary” woods used in furniture for drawer bottoms, cabinet backs, etc. develop a strong pungent odor over time that is nearly impossible to remove. I believe Poplar is one of the worst of these. The enzyme active scent removers I mentioned help greatly with these.
Great tips Paul…thank you!
Need help! Have a wooden bed with draw only 1yr old and has mould and musty smell coming from it… I don’t think the wood have ever been sealed or painted. If i clean them down well would varnish stop the musty smell coming through it?
Hi Jemma. Don’t know if you got an answer to your question about the varnish or not but thought I’d chime in with my experience. When I buy old furniture I clean it really well (I like Vodka for killing germs and it dries fast) and if after cleaned it still smells I seal it with eco-friendly varnish (ECO brand) or shellac spray if the insides look nice. If the insides look stained I seal them Zinsser 123 primer then paint them a nice color. I have never had bad odors come back even on humid days. Hope this helps 🙂
Zinsser Odor Killing Primer finally blocked the smell from my daughter’s chest of drawers. I tried several methods and products mentioned in these posts but it still smelled musty. Finally, after two months of working with this piece, I used the odor killing primer. It goes on white and dries clear; brush washes with water and dries very quickly. A day later I smelled no odor, it is gone!!! After two months of work to try and get it out, of course I am thrilled. I used the primer on every interior surface and the bottom and back of the piece. I did not want to paint this piece so I am very pleased that I found this product..
PAINT THAT SUCKER! When I’ve exhausted my efforts with everything else, and any odor remains, I paint it- ESPECIALLY the insides of drawers/cabinets- I love starting with a
Couple light coats of Rustoleum Primer spray paint ($3 at Home Depot), which should be enough but if not, any latex/chalk/spray paint on top is fine
Hi Paul — I know your post is from some time ago but any chance you have some recommendations on how to use one of these enzyme cleaners successfully? I’m going to try it with an 50s dresser/night stand and mirror set. Mixture of alcohol/water/Dawn did nothing. Probably will get Icky Poo. Hoping I can get rid of the smell….otherwise I’m going to have to part with my grandmothers furniture. Also….assuming this works, any tips on getting the musty smell then out of a closet? It’s where I’ve been storing the mirror that has an unfinished back and now I can’t use the closet for anything.
What I did for a musty smell in my dresser drawer was to clean it out with a dampen rag of lemon infused vinegar. Then I sat it out on the porch to air dry for a couple days (well at night I brought them in and then put them back out in the morning. It was a nice windy day too.)How I made the lemon infusion vinegar was peeled the rind off of one lemon and put it into a glass jar and filled it up with plain white vinegar. Put the lid on the jar and let it sit for two weeks. Shake it up periodically. It actually had a nice lemony scent. I made it even more potent by putting 5 drops of lemon essential oil in the mix. Awesome scent!(if you like lemons)You can do the same with orange and lime too. I got this from the internet…amazing what you can find there : )
I have a bedside cabinet that had an u usual door due to spilled Medicines. It was quite overpowering and tried a range of treatments on this blog with the exception of vodka as my husband said it would be a waste! I live in the uk and therefore can’t get a lot of preparatory items mentioned in the blog or in the replays but tackled the bare inside of thiis cabinet with a wash of lemon floor cleaner and vinegar and then wiped it with white spirit. I followed this by pouring many drops of citronella oil into beeswax and let it dry before buffing. It now smells of lemon polish and no lingering Medicine smells!
I have had great results with baking soda. I buy the cheapest baking soda the dollar store sells. I sprinkle a thick layer of it over the bottom of each drawer, close the drawers, and leave it for a few days. Then vacuum it out. It not only removes the odors, if left long enough, it will also lift out any stains in the wood. If it is a lot of drawers or big drawers instead of vacuuming it out, I shake the baking soda into a Ziploc bag and re-use it when scrubbing the tub and toilet.
hey Denise!
i have a wood dining table and its so heavy we cant lift it and put it outside when we washed our house the legs got wet and they smell! any ideas on how can i get rid of the smell?
If the dining table legs had no odor before they got wet, once the legs dry (a dehumidifier may help speed the process) they might be just fine Alena. You could try some of the above methods but my guess is time will do the trick.
I purchased a cute old federal type headboard at an auction for cheap! but when I got it home I knew why. Smelled real darn musty. I hauled my dehumidifier up from the basement and shut the door of the bedroom. It took many days!!! but finally the day came when the smell was totally gone and the headboard looked beautiful with no funky smell. The dehumidifier removed the nasty smell and I am a believer in this method.
My grandfather had built a cedar trunk for my grandmother who used it to store musty linens and moth balls for years. After washing the interior of the trunk several times with vinegar and water, I used a full bottle of tangerine essential oil on cotton balls swabbing the entire inside of the trunk. It seemed to resolve the problem. My granddaughter now uses it as a toy box.After a year the odor started to return although not quite as bad as it was initially. Thankfully their was nothing porous stored in the chest to absorb the odor. It was treated again with the essential oil and seems to be fine now.
I received another cedar trunk from my sister in law with the same issue with the most beautiful wool blankets inside. Although I hope to salvage the trunk, after 3 washing I’m out of ideas on how to get the smell out of the blankets. Any suggestions would be great.
I like the essential oil idea for the wood. With fabric I find the very best solution is to hang them out on a line in the fresh air. If you’re in a dry sunny area, within a few days the blankets should air out and smell fresh. If anyone has any other ideas, feel free to chime in!
I would sand the cedar interior lightly and then use cedar essential oil. Black & Decker has a petite sander (woman friendly) called The Mouse.” It comes to a point like a travel iron, so you can get into the corners. Also useful for renovating old cast-iron wear. Good luck!
I’ve tried many things to get the odour out of fabrics. The best method I’ve found is to soak them in the washer with a smaller amount of detergent than usual (1/2 as much), and 1/2- 1 cup of baking soda. I will leave it 4-8 hours, agitating it slightly every few hours (if I remember). I then run it through the full cycle. After this, I do an extra rinse, adding 1 cup of vinegar. If the smell is still present, repeat the whole process. I’ve done this up to 4 times for really smelly clothing and it’s worked for cat spray, old cigarette smells, bad foot odour and mildew.
Let soak in water at least 1 hr with vinegar and detergent, in the warmest water possible, then run through a regular wash cycle. Rinse in warmest water, again with a bit of vinegar. Line dry if you can. If you can only use cold water, it may take 2 washes.
I have had really mouldy smelling clothes, that sat in boxes in the basement for years, and this has always worked, even if I could only put them in the dryer.
I also use vinegar in all my wash loads.
Another old wives tale I myself have done to get odors out of everything is…. Wrinkle up newspaper and put it inside whatever smells with a tight lid and leave it a couple of days or even up to a week. My personal experience says it works getting smells out of tupperware and pickle jars. My dishes never smell musty when I unpack them with newspaper…unless the newspaper got wet somehow…I have not tried doing this with wood as of yet.
Please!!! Never put your beautiful wool blankets in hot water…it will ruin them. Cold water on the gentle cycle and line dry…preferably in partial shade. just turn them a few times to allow the odors to work out. The vinegar is a great idea. I use it all the time.
I know this is an old post, but I wanted to mention a product to possibly help with your blankets: MiraZyme Enzyme-Based Odor Eliminator. It’s usually used for sports gear, but I’d try it before giving up hope on the blankets…
i hope you see this!
Use alcohol in the laundry
Dry clean the wool blankets. That is what is recommended for musty smells in clothes. If you don’t like the chemicals in dry cleaning solutions, be sure to take the plastic wrap off them and air them out plenty well before use so they will dissipate. Sunshine works well if you have a place to hang them, but some colors may fade, especially reds., but could be worth a try. I don’t dry clean many things anymore, but for moldy musty smells I definitely would.
I’ve tried lots of ways to get rid of moldy and musty smells from furniture and only one truly works. There is a mold and mildew “root” cleaner that tilex makes. I use to be able to only find it in lowes but now Walmart is carrying it. ROOT cleaner. I just generously got the piece wet with the ROOT cleaner and let it sit. All inside the nightstands on the underside of the top of nightstand..inside the drawers…everywhere. The ROOT cleaner will do the rest. Now the nightstands smell CLEAN, try it you will be amazed at what a 3$ bottle and a generously wet wipe down will do. I do mean wet…wet enough for it to have to dry up.
Thanks for sharing Kathy! I love hearing about products that work… I’ll have to give this a try! 🙂
Be sure to get the bottle that says “mold and mildew ROOT cleaner”. The regular tilex says “mold and mildew cleaner”. Both bottles look similar in appearance but the regular tilex only works on the surface but the root cleaner does exactly what it says…to the root of the problem. Use this in the shower too as it also literally removes the problem. Have used regular tikex and yes it will turn that black spot grey but amfew days later the black mildew is back. The root cleaner removes it instead of turning it grey.
cant find “root” as you stated! only the regular you say is not what i need.
darn
It says on the Tilex wesite: “I have an oak vanity in my bathroom. Can I clean it with Tilex® Mildew Root™ Penetrator & Remover?
Unfortunately, we recommend against using Tilex® Mildew Root™ Penetrator & Remover on wood or painted surfaces.
Kathy,
I can only find Tilex® Mildew Root™ Penetrator & Remover?Could you post a picture of the bottle that you used? Thank you!
I live in the U.K. And we don’t get that exact product here. Can you tell me what it is so I can see if we can get an equivalent?
Kathy,
Is this the right cleaner with bleach?
Could you take a picture of the bottle that you have and post it?
Thank you!!
Tilex Mildew Root Penetrator and Remover with Bleach, Spray Bottle, 32 Ounces
We recommend against using Tilex® Mildew Root™ Penetrator & Remover on wood or painted surfaces. I don’t want to put bleach on my wood furniture to get rid of smells. It might come down to using bleach, but if it does, I suspect I’ll be stripping and refinishing. I’m trying to avoid that drastic step.
You can also get essential oils usually at health food or natural food stores to rub drawers down with. There is one that is Cedar oil it is great for refreshing cedar boards found in closets or cedar chests. Can be use on other woods also.
This is a great tip Rebecca…thank you!
I have a wood chest of drawers from Schnadig. When the movers brought it down it was raining and after it dried out it developed a sour wood smell in (I think) the lower drawers. It’s very pungent. Is there a way to remove that particular sour smell from furniture wood?
It may require some experimenting with one or more (possibly a combo) of methods described above Mari. It’s also important to thoroughly dry it and keep it in a dry environment while it’s airing out.
I have a “new” TV cabinet that was made in Mexico. The drawers smell horrible. The smell drifts through the entire room. At first I thought it was a wax that the wood may have been treated with but can’t tell for sure. Most of the standard tricks haven’t worked yet but I love the cabinet so maybe some of the other tips that I have seen here will help. I never dreamed that new furniture could have this problem.
Sorry to hear this Sharon. Unfortunately, sometimes even newly purchased furniture has odors pending on where the inventory has been stores. Hopefully one of the above tips (and time) will do the trick!
It could also be formaldehyde in particle board. This is why I have been trying to try replace my furniture for older real wood. I just bought a piece that was refinished and it has a musty smell so I am going to try some of the things mentioned here. I hope it works as this piece is in my dining room and I am very sensitive to odors
they use different wood for furnature in mexico, because of the heat and humidity, our furnature in the states wouldn’t last there….so you might want to talk to some people who live in mexico, expats, they would have the answers, seems everything and everyone has a facebook account:)
Denise, I purchased a new dresser a month or two ago. There is no mold in the drawers as far as I can see. I smell varnish when I walk into the room. My clothing smells like mildew. It is driving me crazy. How can I get rid of the smell?
Margaret, I would try the above methods mentioned in this article or even return the dresser! Brand new furniture should not be making your clothes smell of mildew!
Wood is porous and therefore will take in moisture, air, and smells of its surroundings. If your piece of furniture has been housed in an old house, attic, basement or garage most likely it has taken in a musty order from one of these. Try moving the piece of furniture into a conditioned room in your home with relatively low moisture in the area. Use a dehumidifier and close the door and leave the piece of furniture for a few hours daily. After a few days, see if this process has helped.
Hi,
We have old furniture (more than 60 years old) that still is woody smelling. Do you know if that is normal? After reading this I am wondering if the woody smell could be musty.
Thank you,
Dawn
This is very normal Dawn. Older furniture often has an old woody, musty smell. Especially if it has not been living in a dry environment with excellent air flow. Try using one (or a few) of the methods listed above. Should greatly help. 🙂
Placing Insence sticks in the draws and cupboards the draws smell of Insence
How about removing mold from furniture? I saw mold blooming from a nightstand, washed it really well with Murphy’s and polished it with wax, but put the piece in the garage, just in case. I hate to throw it out but I’m worried that the mold cannot be taken out, and that it will bloom again…..
Perhaps if I paint the piece?
Mold can be tough. The methods I listed above are helpful and depending on the severity of the mold problem, here are a few others. 1) Wipe/scrub with a cloth/brush soaked in mineral spirits 2) Soak cloth in a solution made of 1 part detergent 3 parts water and wipe. 3) A solution of bleach and water 10-1 water to bleach and rub or scrub down. 4) 000 grade steel wool and denatured alcohol. All these methods, should be tested in an inconspicuous area of the furniture and also allowed to completely dry before refinishing. And yes Ivy, paint and a sealer such as poly, shellac, wax etc will also help, but you want to get rid of the mold prior to painting.
Warning! Your posting that reads “ammonia/bleach and water” needs to be rewritten carefully because unknowing readers could make the dangerous mistake of combining the ammonia and bleach. This chemical combination creates a toxic fume that can permanently damage one’s lungs.
Much appreciated….my fingers keyboard faster than I can think sometimes. Thanks Karen!
Also, don’t clean cat urine with bleach, you get mustard gas.
I had mold on the wood in our basement at work and the mold remediation group that came out to take care of this used hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle. I was outside and observed them pouring it into their sprayer and the worker told me they purchase it at the dollar store if they run short and that it kills all mold. tried it at home on a night stand and It hasn’t come back. Took care of the odor as well.
Yes! Hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar are all products to actually ‘kill’ mold and mildew (this is according to our homebuilder). All can be purchased in differing strengths – find the highest % you can, pour in a spray bottle or pump sprayer for large areas and apply until the area affected is saturated. Contrary to popular belief, bleach does NOT kill the bacteria that causes mold and mildew and the accompanying stench, to grow on your household surfaces – it kills the outer layers that you can see with the naked eye – ie the black ‘spots’ and green ‘furry’ stuff – but the actual bacteria is largely unaffected – and will just regrow, especially on or more accurately in, porous surfaces, so using bleach is a waste of time and $, and the fumes are not healthy for you to breathe in.
Hi Denise, I have used Melaleuca’s Sol-U-Mel and it works wonders on even the worse odors or stains yet it is gentle enough to take permanent felt marker off a photo without marring the photo! I just dilute it as directed and spray inside the drawers and sometimes if its really bad I put some in a bowl Undiluted or take a cotton ball or cloth and saturate itnthen squeeze it out and then rub it inside the drawer and then leave it there. I don’t put it on the finish outside because it tends to make wood whitish. I don’t know if it stays like that but if you do a while down of your front surfaces it may leave a bit of a white hue. Not sure if one all woods but my cupboards got like that because I left them soaking wet for a few minutes then dried them off. I have even got cat odor out of a car that got sprayed and that’s hard to do! It’s great on stains too. I have been a member for 17 years and all the products are wonderful!!
Hi Lianna! I’ll have to look this stuff up… sounds great!
Denise, I’ve had a lot of success getting rid of bad smells using Fresh Wave crystal gel. Just put the jar in the furniture, and let it go to town.
Thank you Kathryn… I’ve never heard of this product until just now!
I love to put vanilla or any flavored extract in the paint. It takes away any oder. You could even put it in the top clear coat. Works well in bathroom vanities.
What a great idea Shelly!
Using Shellac on the entire piece has proven to eliminate the smells for me. It is a TON of work to do this, but if it is a piece you absolutely love…it is worth it!
Thanks Michelle…excellent tip! Maybe this technique would have helped my gorgeous stinky dresser!
smoke oder remover by Zep it is an oil based product in a spray can I have been using it for years I deal with mold odors frequently, use this after a surface wipedown.A portable ozone machine will work and a fogging machine place items in an inclosed area turn on the fogger filled with a commercial type deoderizer and close the door. come back after the fog is gone. you can obtain these products from a janitorial supply store.
Thank you Mark! I just have to say all you guys are amazing for leaving all these GREAT tips!
Everyone has the same questions on here.. with the same basic answers. I live in Hawaii, gets humid daily. My furniture gets damp with ocean mist and salt! You people worry too much about the small things. Do everything everyone said on this forum and you will have the most odd smelling wood in tha world ! Ha ha! I’m kidding! I make tables out of driftwood, all of the above will work. If not someone out there im sure could care less and would love a piece of furniture- good karma- shoots!
Hey Denise im having some moldly odors coming from a bathroom door i painted 5days ago. I found in the paint in the basement. I have otber paint cans from years back but this one had an odor and I thought my husband mixed it with Kilz and afewr the bathroom door dried the smell was awful. Its been 4days and ive repainted it with some new paint but when it dried the smell came back and i scrubbed the entire bathroom on my knees with bleach. I am going to try the spraying of bleach on the door. That smell is unbearable.