Cleaning and Stain Removal - Antiue dresser drawers smell bad
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Maris
09-27-09, 05:07 PM
We have antique cherry bedroom furniture. Several of the drawers really have a bad internal smell. Should I put them out in the sun for a day? Anything to apply on inside? The furniture is about 80 years old and was inherited. The smell is not really musty but just unpleasant. Each drawer is sealed from the one above or below, so smell doesn't migrate; but some of the drawers when open even slightly are unpleasant. Others are OK. I have some collectibles in some drawers and some fabrics. Don't put clothes that will be worn in the one dresser. Thanks for any help:eek:
geobrite
09-28-09, 08:33 AM
Let's start with the least invasive method first. Sprinkle a cup of fresh coffee grounds in the offensive drawers. Close the drawers and allow 24 hrs. for the coffee to do it's magic. Vacuum up the coffee grounds and repeat once if necessary. This should do the trick. If not, wipe down the interior surfaces with white vinagar and allow to air dry for 2 to 3 hrs. I can't imagine any odor left at this point. But, just in case, fill a trigger sprayer bottle with undiluted household bleach and dampen the interior surfaces, scrub the damp surfaces with a medium synthetic scrubbing pad, wipe the surfaces dry with a disposable cleaning rag, and finally, lightly mist the surfaces with bleach and allow it air dry. Remember to wear gloves and avoid breathing the fumes. The bleach may lighten the wood and raise the grain. Bleach is the method of last resort.
Hope this helps.
George Brite
Hope this helps.
George Brite