I finally dragged the old painted pine wardrobe out of the shed for placement in the house and it has the nasty mildew smell. No mold just dust. I was hoping someone would have a recommendation on how to eliminate the odor before bringing it upstairs. Thanks.
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other…proper application of risk.
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I'd try a bleach solution first, whatever concentration the label suggests for general cleaning. No need to get the wood really wet, just wipe every surface with a damp sponge and be sure to get into all the corners. If that doesn't work, I'd find some place where I could expose it to outside air while protecting it from rain and snow, like a screened porch or an unheated garage, for maybe a week. If that doesn't work, I'm all out of ideas. Maybe it's firewood at that point.
Thanks Dunc, good to see you again. :O)Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
A sprayer like an empty Windex bottle makes a good way to get the bleach into the nooks and crannies.
Bleach?? Yikes!!
Get some of the stuff used to eliminate odors in fabric. Some of the brand names are "Fresh Care" and "Febreze". Febreze has brand recognition for being the first, but i find the other brands work just as well for a lot less money. Drench a cloth with it and hang it over a pan to catch any drips. Close the doors and go have coffee.
I got a quote of over a thousand dollars to take the cremated garbanzo bean smell out of my house after one of my cooking attempts that ended in evacuation of the house and replacement of the stove, not to mention making a paperweight out of one of my pans. It was unbearable the longer it lingered, but i didn't have a grand for the remedy, so i bought about a gallon of this stuff and ran my dryer hose over the top of a pan of it when i dried clothes. In a few days, the smell was gone. With eight (currently) dogs and cats, i use this remedy whenever the odors pile up again.
Whatever this stuff is made of, it smells a whole lot better than bleach and it's certainly not as toxic or dangerous to handle. A smaller bottle should cost about $4 and it's safe for fabric as well, unlike bleach in concentration.
Smoke some salmon in it. That should take care of the musty smell.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
Bleach is the long used way of ridding something of mold and mildew. You have to kill the spores or the smell will never go away. Using an odorant will just hide it for a while but not kill it at its source. A mixture of standard fresh chlorine bleach (Clorox) and 75% water is used all the time to kill mold and mildew--particularly on boats. Once it's dead, any residual odor can be treated as you suggest.
Using chlorine laundry bleach I wouldn't consider dangerous.
In my understanding, mold and mildew are a function of moisture. Move the piece to dry conditions and the spores are neutralized. They are everywhere, by the way, only waiting for the right conditions to flourish. I can see your point about killing spores in boats and i've used it in bathrooms for this reason, but i made an assumption this piece just has that musty smell of old wood furniture that hasn't been used for a while, which pieces that haven't been stored in moist conditions can still develop just from being unused and closed up.
As to bleach being benign, i might share the story of a teacher with whom i worked who was blinded in both eyes when the bottle she was carrying fell out of her grasp, landed on the floor, popped its top and exploded upward into her face. I suppose i'd be concerned about misting chlorine into a closed area, too, though this could be done outside in good weather. I'd certainly want to use a respirator for the procedure. And then there are the unknown effects of a bleach/water on the finish, not to mention i don't find the bleach smell much more appealing than the mustiness. Cheap, though...
Edited 2/1/2003 12:15:12 AM ET by SPLINTIE
After the bleach has dried, you might want to put a coat of shellac on the interior to completely seal the inside.
After the bleach has dried, you might want to put a coat of shellac on the interior to completely seal the inside.
This is the ticket exactly.Gretchen
Thanks all, bleach then sealer is the call. Think I'll follow with some cedar on the drawer and cabinet bottoms.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
Well, I sealed the interior of the wardrobe with a quickdry oil poly and am now wondering if there might be any recommendations on quickening the poly smell dissipation from the inside of the wardrobe. Thanks.
OK what are you guys laughing at?Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
rez, leave the doors open-- for a fortnight or so, ha, ha. That ought to do it. Slainte.Website The poster formerly known as Sgian Dubh
>>>I sealed the interior of the wardrobe with a quickdry oil poly
Rez, what happened to all the advise you recieved to use shellac? Oil based products emit an odor almost forever and using them inside an enclosed space is very bad practise if that space will contain anything like cloth or clothing.
At this point I would try to air it out for a month or so in a warm space to cure the finish as much as possible. Then apply a couple of coats of shellac to seal in the odor. Even the shellac is not a 100% solution all the time.
Bloomin' greenhorns can't git nothin' right.:O)Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
And if you'd tried my $4, odor-eliminator tip, you would have your clothes in there by now. And the armpits would smell better.
I ah, ah, um... hmmm. I ah, ah, oh hell, never claimed to be intelligent.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
the shellac idea i read recently in one of my mag's works to rid the odor
it may have been Fine Woodworking, try contacting them maybe they would have a suggestion or could refer you to which copy it was in
i have also called Garrett Wade and talked to on of their tech's for advice on finishing, etc
good luck
You have two problems to take care of. First, you have to kill the organisms making the smell. Second, you have to get rid of the smell that permeates the wood.
You can use a bleach spray or brushing to kill the organism. But, such a strong oxidizer can alter the color and patina of the wood and even weaken the fibers. Don't use full strength and don't leave it on for too long.
A better alternative is to use a disinfectant spray with a quarternary ammonium biocide (a "quat"). I used a lysol pump spray recently for some cabinets that spent lots of time in the barn with rat nests and moisture.
After the quat sits for a few hours, wash it off and let the piece dry. Only do it on a sunny day when the drying is good.
Then, get rid of the smell. Heat it and put a fan on it. Leave it outside and open for a while. Put trays of baking soda in it. The basic principle is to air it out and let the absorbed stink escape. This may take a while.
The shellac sounds like a good idea once you've reduced the smell down to a residual level.
Good luck. Old wood = great wood.
Try and wipe the peace down with distilled white vinegar and this should do the trick. It works very well with leather when mildew gets on it here in the beach areas of Southern California. It cleans the leather and eliminates the odor. the vinegar smell will be gone in a short time after you have finished cleaning. Give it a go!
Bleach should be a last resort.
good luck.
Tony
We have always used Murphy's Oil for such things. The wood really loves it and all is clean and fresh when finished.
You think the Murphy's might help the poly smell?Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
i always like to polish the good ones with liquid gold. murphys oil is good, but liquid gold smells like your grandmas house. a couple of thin coats.
The only thing to do at this point is to overcome the poly with a stronger smell, like filling the thing with lavender and cedar chips. Keep good track of any hamsters in the house during this period.
'...excessive misery. If I had no bad luck I'd have no luck at all...' hic-burp.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
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