Son and wife to be have bought an old chest of drawers, (antique I think) it smells old as it should do and thats how they like it. The have been keeping bedding & suchlike in it but the old smell seems to cling to the contents. Anyone have any ideas how to neutralise the musty smell of the furniture without reducing it's potential value as an antique?
Thought you said they like it smelling old? you could try bees waxing the drawers inners? You sure its not wood rot? careful examination the chest and drawers for tiny spors will be apparent if it is.
Probably had camphor or mothballs in it since it was made.
Rubbing the inside with talcum powder, particularly a smelly one can help
scented draw liners?
=================================== Sprinkle liberally with baking powder (bicarbonate of soda) making sure you get the powder into any cracks or crevices. Leave for a few days and then vacuum thoroughly.
Cic.
(a) deodorising cat litter (b) if something has impregnated the wood, and it's not an antique, lightly sanding the interior surfaces before adding cat litter may help.
Owain
Thanks to all who have responded, the baking powder idea seems like the sort of traditional solution that they would like.
Not baking powder - baking _soda_ (they're not the same thing).
The message from "Scabbydug" contains these words:
I don't know if it would work with 'furniture smells' but my mother used to cut an onion in half and place it in the corner of a newly-decorated room, to absorb the smell of the paint... might be worth a try?
================================== But both contain the active ingredient, bicarbonate of soda / sodium bicarbonate.
Cic.
Not these days. Used to be bicarb with citric acid (aka bath bomb), but can now be sodium phosphate IIRC. I guess they thought it might explode on the shelves. Just buy the bicarb at any supermarket
...but do make sure there are no cats around! ;-)
Now that is a good point.
Owain
Try activated charcoal Chris
Hmm, like that, appeals to my sense of humour.
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