The Dreaded Smell of Musty Furniture

Today's blog is all about saving furniture from the dreaded aroma of must!

A client recently asked me: "Is it smelly? Some of my really 
old pieces have a musty smell that makes them not too 
usable. I know that's weird, but I have got to know." 

If you are buying an antique piece of furniture that has not been well maintained
I'm sure you've come across this problem. Here is how I get rid of that 
terrible odor and prevent it from coming back.

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First it is important to understand the root of the problem.

Why do older piece of furniture start to smell musty? Wood is porous and therefor will absorb moisture from the air. This process causes the wood to grow BACTERIA. In order to get rid of the odor you have to kill the bacteria. Simple right? That is just the first step. Next you have to properly moisturize the furniture with oil to prevent the piece from absorbing moisture from the air, thus preventing the bacteria from returning.

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You will need:

Two Spray Bottles . Clorox Bleach . Vinegar . Furniture Oil {Spray} . Clean Rags 

Coffee Beans .  Small Tupperware Containers . Knife

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Step #1: Mix 1 part water with 2 parts Vinegar in a spray bottle. 
Repeat with the bleach in a separate spray bottle.

Step #2: Take the drawers out of your furniture and lay them out in the sun.

Step #3: Spray all the drawers with the Vinegar solution to kill the bacteria. 

DO NOT saturate the piece in the liquid.

Step #4: Wipe down the inside of the drawers to make sure they are evenly coated with 

the Vinegar solution. Let fully air dry in the sun.

Step #5: If the drawers still have a strong odor follow up with the Bleach solution and repeat step #4.

 {only use the bleach solution if the piece has a very strong odor after steps #3 - #4}

Step #6: Spray the drawers with the Furniture Oil to rehydrate and moisturize the old wood properly. 

DO NOT saturate the drawers in the oil. A nice citrus scent doesn't hurt!

Step #7: Make sure to oil all sides of the drawers. Including the outside bottom and sides.

Step #8: Work the oil into the wood with a clean cloth. Making sure to wipe away any access oil.

Step #9: Don't forget to oil the inside of the piece of furniture itself and repeat step #8.

Let piece absorb the oil for a couple of hours.

Step #10: Pour the Coffee into small Tupperware containers. Place the lids on the containers 

and punch many holes in the lids with a knife. {BE VERY CAREFUL}

Step #11: Once the oil has had a couple hours to absorb into the wood, 

place the drawers back into the piece. Place 1-2 coffee containers in each drawer 

to absorb any moister and any remnant odors. Keep in drawers for a day or two. 

Step #12: After a couple of days check the drawers. Do they still have a musty smell? 

If so leave the beans in the drawers a few more days.

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NEVER seal the drawers in a piece of furniture. The wood needs to be able to breathe. 

If you seal the drawers the wood will dry out and crack. 

There is no reason to toss out antique or vintage furniture. If you love it, just get rid of the smell.
Cleaning and oiling the piece is great way to bring old furniture back to life.

Share your furniture revitalizing stories with us. We always love to hear from our followers!