How do I get rid of mold inside the wood of an old toy box?

Mary Lynette
by Mary Lynette

I have a homemade toy box and it's been in the basement with dehumidifiers!

It still was a bit moldy inside the cracks in the wood. How do I get it out?

  8 answers
  • Hi Mary, here's a post that recommends starting with soap and water and moving on from there. It also lists the precautions you should take when dealing with mold. Hope it helps. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-remove-mold-from-wood/

  • William William on Dec 11, 2018

    Bleach and warm water will clean the mold. Usea sounge and brush with the grain. Rinse and let dry. Then clean with vinegar and warm water. Vinegar kills mold spores. Rinse and let dry. Do not mix the two together. You will get chlorine gas. Then seal the inside with Bullseye Seal coat. Works on sealing odors in hard to clean furniture.


    How to Eliminate Odors in Wood


    Your best hope for sealing in any odors is shellac. It makes an excellent barrier coat over all wood species, and it sticks to almost anything. Zinsser makes a great product for this purpose, called Bullseye SealCoat. It’s a clear dewaxed shellac that you can apply to those drawer interiors easily with a brush. It dries quickly and should help to diminish mice, mildew, musty, smoke, urine smell. And since it doesn’t contain wax, you can apply other finishes like lacquer or varnish over it — they’ll stick just fine. SealCoat is also handy to have around the shop as a general purpose wood finish and sanding sealer. So, I’m sure you’ll find other uses for what’s left of the quart you buy.

    • Bink Bink on Dec 13, 2018

      I live in a 112 year old house with built-in drawers. I want to store my sheets and towels in them but they smell terrible. Like old, stinky wood. So does the inside of my built-in corner cabinets in my dining room. Will this help? Will it leave stains on my linens? Does it have an odor of any kind?

  • Amanda Amanda on Dec 11, 2018

    Hi Mary. I would try using dish soap and water and scrubbing it real good. Then let it dry out in the sun.

  • Hi Mary - This article is more for mold in the shower, but there are some gems you can take away. Hope this helps! Hugs, Holly

    https://pinkfortitude.com/mold-in-the-shower/

  • William William on Dec 13, 2018

    Hello Bink. This will work. Once it's dry....no staining....no odor. You can even paint the drawer inside over it if you want.

  • Shirley Gottron Shirley Gottron on Dec 15, 2018

    Mix hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it down and let it dry. Then wash it and it should be fine.


  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Jan 02, 2022

    Toothbrush and bleach of some kind would be my suggestion.

  • Janice Janice on Feb 22, 2022

    Hi Mary Lynette, here's some info I found on the internet. Just be sure to wear eye and face protection as well as rubber gloves.


    Begin by diluting your chlorine bleach properly. 2 teaspoons per half gallon of warm water is the ideal solution strength for removing mold from wood cutting boards. Using a kitchen scrubbing brush, gently scrub your cutting board in the bleach solution until the mold has all been taken care of.O