How To Get Rid of Old Furniture Smell
One of the potential downsides of refreshing vintage furniture? It can smell! Wood is porous, and that means it can absorb smells from the environment. The causes are endless, being neglected in a damp basement or being exposed to any number of odors in the home. While I generally stay away from refinishing pieces that smell REALLY bad, I don’t let a little bit of odor scare me! And I’m here to share how to get rid of that old furniture smell.
This piece was probably the smelliest I would consider working on. It had been stored in the back of a garage for years, and you could tell. The damp musty smell was strong and there was even evidence of critters living in the drawers. If you’ve ever smelled that musty old furniture smell, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Vintage pieces have lived long lives and may have been stored in less-than-ideal conditions, but it doesn’t mean they are a lost cause. This one had sentimental value to my client so we were determined to give it a new life.
Ways to get rid of old furniture smell
Baking Soda
This is a super simple way to deal with smell if you have a bit of time. After giving your piece a good clean and letting it dry, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the insides of the drawers, shelves, cabinets, etc… Let it sit for several days to a week, and then vacuum out. If I have a piece that I know smells a bit I will do this and let it sit while I tackle another project. Then when I’m ready to get to work, I’m not held up by the wait.
Watered down bleach
I like to use this method when I’m dealing with a damp/mildew smell or there is evidence of critters (yay disinfectant)! Mix a bleach solution of approximately 1/4 cup bleach with 32 oz of water in a spray bottle. Soak the piece (inside and out) and let it dry. Repeat as necessary. I’ll often do two rounds of this and let it dry in the sun if possible.
Chemical odor blockers
Chemical odor blockers are things like OdoBan, OdorBully, Natures Miracle, etc… They can definitely help remove odors from porous surfaces, such as furniture. Following the directions, I will liberally soak the entire piece, similar to a bleach solution. These aren’t as toxic as bleach is, so are a good alternative if you’re working indoors or don’t want to deal with bleach.
Shellac
Using shellac is another way to get rid of old furniture smell. Unlike the other methods, you are not neutralizing or removing the odor. You are sealing it in. Because of this, I like to use it as a last resort. But it works very well if done correctly. The key is covering every inch of the piece, inside and out. You are creating a barrier. Miss a spot and you’ll likely still have some smell.
How I got rid of the smell on this project
Curious how I tackled this project? I’ve listed the steps I took below. Note that all pieces don’t necessarily need all of these steps, sometimes a little bleach or OdoBan are sufficient.
- Sprayed the whole piece, inside and out, with a bleach solution. I made sure to soak the wood and repeated a few times. Then let it dry overnight. This will help with the odor, as well as disinfect (important because of the critters).
- Scrub well with dish soap and water, using a ScotchBrite pad. Then rinse. Because the one was really dirty, I used a garden hose to wash everything down, and then let it dry well in the sun for the rest of the day.
- After a day of drying, the odor was much better but still there, so I used OdoBan, spraying generously on the insides, back and bottom of the dresser. Again, I soaked the wood and repeated several times.
- After drying well, there was still a tiny bit of an odor, so I sealed all of these unfinished areas with Shellac.
After dealing with the smell, I was able to complete the rest of the transformation. Check out my post on how to paint a piece of furniture for my step-by-step process.
And that’s it! Let me know if you have any questions.
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