How do you get rid of the horrible smell in antique dresser drawers?

Hi! I usually sand and seal smelly old wood after cleaning and drying it in the sun. Good luck!

Hi Kathy, is paint an option? An odor blocking oil based primer would be my next step in an attempt to get rid of that smell. How long have you had the dresser? Perhaps removing the drawers and leaving them outside (in your garage etc) for a few days might help?

sacks of dried lavender and lavender essential oil. Add a few drops of the oil daily to the dried flowers. Then after awhile you may not have to do this daily.

Step 1

Remove all drawers from the dresser if possible and allow them to air out overnight.

Step 2

Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and mist lightly over the entire interior of the dresser. The vinegar is a natural disinfectant and deodorizer, killing bacteria and mildew growth that is often cause of the unpleasant smell.

Step 3

Place the drawers back into the dresser, and fill bowls with 1/2 cup baking soda each. Place a bowl into each dresser drawer, close the drawer and let sit overnight. This collects any excess moisture and absorbs odors from the dresser.

Hi Kathy

Here is info for you

https://www.marthastewart.com/272337/furniture-refresher#:~:text=To%20remove%20musty%20smells%20from,with%20a%20vinegar%2Ddampened%20cloth.

Thank you all. I will consider my new options and give them a try!

All else fails you can seal the odor in the wood

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.

This video gives some ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4deJEuM7xo

Wash with OdoBan. If that doesn't get it, prime the interior of the drawers with Kilz and then paint.

Pour in some cat litter and leave it for a few days

You could also try spraying the inside with vinegar

Seal the inside of the drawers and undersides with clear Varathane or similar. If you paint, you will ruin your antique.

Wipe them out with vinegar and let them dry. Then fill a small dish with vinegar and let them set for a few days. It should help.

I agree with Libbie to try the vinegar!

Hi Kathy, here's a video with some quick tips on how to get rid of the smells - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju-7yFRk_Y

Hi Kathy, here's a video with some quick tips on how to get rid of the smells - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju-7yFRk_Y