How to get the odor out of an old bureau ?

Washing out the drawers and the inside is first on the list. Then wipe them down with vinegar and/or place bowls of vinegar in the drawers for a couple of days. Next try some unscented cat litter to absorb smells - baking soda and coffee grounds are also helpful. My last suggestion is paint the inside with an oil-based primer.

Baking soda will absorb odors. I wanted to do that to a rug in my rental house. However, I grabbed the powdered sugar container. Lesson learned: Don't use powdered sugar.

Odor absorbers such as baking soda, vinegar, and charcoal briquettes (no-firestarter addded type) placed in the bureau will help a lot. Use any of these after cleaning the entire piece with hot soapy water with some white vinegar mixed in. Leaving all the drawers open will help as well and if you can place the drawers outside in the open air that will help too.

Wipe down with OdoBan. Place activated charcoal on newspaper inside it.

Agree on washing the whole thing out with vinegar. I would use a 50/50 vinegar and water mix with a splash of an antibacterial essential oil in it such as tea tree oil. After that I would leave it outside in the garage with it all opened up to let it air out for a few days.

Have used vinegar and water (equal parts) with success-wash down all surfaces, also fresh air and sunshine, not too much because it can cause the wood to warp from excessive heat.

Baking soda-open a box in each drawer.

If none of the solutions work.....

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.

take a paper towel and roll into a ball- use one drop of vanilla extract on it and then close the drawer and let it do it's magic - the vanilla smell will go away along with the odors -

This information may help you:

https://sarahjoyblog.com/5-ways-remove-musty-smell-old-furniture/

I use baking soda in a small jar for a few days and the odor went away.

Hope this helps you get your bureau smelling good. How To Get a Musty Smell Out of an Old Dresser | Hunker

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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 ...

Hi Lorna,

Check out my hometalk post:

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/clean/furniture/how-to-get-rid-of-furniture-odors-before-refinishing-39720142

and for more details check it out on my blog:

https://karupp-did.net/sorry-for-the-stink/

Put cat litter in it to absorb the smells

Hello there,

You could try Carpet freshener in the drawers and Febreze spray! Good luck

Here is an idea that should work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odKakbWX4KA

Hi! If you scrub them and leave them out to dry in the sun, it helps. With my antique trunk, I ended up sanding and then sealing the wood to get rid of the musty smell. I put a bag of bamboo charcoal in it if it's going to be closed for awhile. Good luck!

Put essential oils on dried flowers in a sachet!

Believe it or not the sun works wonders. Put it outside in the sunlight for several days. Bring it in at night so it doesn't get exposed to dew or dampness that will just keep the problem going. You can also put a small bowl of coffee grounds in it. Hope that helps!