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Closet and drawer smells


ComputerGuy

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I have rustico furniture in my bedroom, and everything clean in my dresser and cupboards absorbs a kind of rank smell (not moldy). The wood is clean and well-maintained, and you would not really notice it until you put your nose on it. The furniture has been well-used, and is dry.

I don't want to use laundry fresheners; they just have way too strong a perfumey smell, and of course mothballs are even worse. What do you folks do?

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4 hours ago, ComputerGuy said:

I have rustico furniture in my bedroom, and everything clean in my dresser and cupboards absorbs a kind of rank smell (not moldy). The wood is clean and well-maintained, and you would not really notice it until you put your nose on it. The furniture has been well-used, and is dry.

I don't want to use laundry fresheners; they just have way too strong a perfumey smell, and of course mothballs are even worse. What do you folks do?

I think you have to find the source of the odor.  We have had moisture problems in our closets - it absorbs into the brick walls & they give off odor.  Given time it will cause mildew odor on leather & clothes.

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I have seen carpenter shops that  make rustic pine furniture use used dark burnt transmission fluid to stain the wood. Many small places that sell pine furniture buy these pieces unstained and sell them stained with this very common cheap method. It might be the cause of the smell.

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I believe Alan has identified the source. It hardly ever goes away, and is very pronounced in closed areas. Rustic means that they did not buy a stain, but used something very cheap or free.  Best bet is to put it in a very open area.

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Seal the inside of the item and the drawers with the sealer that you can buy from Prisa which is used for tennis and other sports courts.  So 3 or 4 coats.  Its not hard to do and you can use a sponge brush.

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Are these new pieces Mike? I just had two sets of drawers redone...specifically in the diesel/oil wash because it is a termite repellent. The smell will go away. Mine did.

In the meantime, you could use newspaper as a liner and/or baking soda in a small dish and/or kitty litter (unused ;) ) to absorb the odour. Or try the sealer as recommended by Solajijic.

The good news is that the termites won't take up residence either in the drawers or on you if the smell is clinging to your clothes.

 

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I am guessing it has to do with the oil wash, but they are 20 years old at least; no mold, no mildew, no dampness.... just an old weird wood smell. Not like the floorboards in an old house (thanks the gods), just kind of sickly sweet.

Hmmm, maybe it was the used kitty litter...

Thanks, everyone.

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Fill a wide-mouthed bowl with coffee beans.  I prefer whole beans, but some people use ground. Place it in a closet, a drawer, a room.  It will take care of any and all odors.  After Katrina, I could not get the smell of putrid out of our things.  I tried everything mentioned above and much more.  After trying coffee beans, all the bad smells were gone in a matter of days.  I saw the tip on FB, I think, so I did some research.  Turns out coffee is widely used in hospitals for dealing with unpleasant odors. Suerte!  la esposa de Tomas

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