Removing perfume.odor from bathroom cabinets?

Question

A previous tenant apparently spilled perfume of some sort in one of the cabinets. We've tried to get rid of the residual odor by painting it over with shellac, but it's still pretty strong after 3 years.

There was a thread on here recently that talked about wood cabinets and shellac, but these are made of dense particle board with a veneer of 1/32" white plastic. They seem to be quality construction.

I wonder if anyone has tried Kilz or an acrylic lacquer, or has any comments on those or other finishes for blocking odors.

Baron · Accepted Answer

Here are some things to try, although I have a feeling you have already done so.

Air them out by leaving them open and running an oscillating fan to circulate the air. Leave the door to the room open while you do this. Leaving a window open is even better.

Try to absorb the odor with activated charcoal. Place wide pans filled with the charcoal in the cabinets and close the cabinet doors. You will probably have to replace the charcoal a few times over several days.
Make sure that the surfaces were completely sealed with shellac. This may require more than one coat. You may also have to hunt down the odor more carefully. It may have become absorbed into another part of the cabinet from where the spill occurred.

Good Luck.

Removing perfume.odor from bathroom cabinets?

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