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How do you get a musty smell out of a dresser?

Author

Mia Moss

Published Jan 14, 2026

To remove musty smells from old furniture, fill plastic containers with white vinegar; seal, and punch holes in lids. Put one inside each drawer or cabinet overnight to absorb odors. For extreme cases, clean interiors with a vinegar-dampened cloth.

How do you deodorize a musty dresser?

White vinegar will work the best, but if you don't have that on hand you can try apple cider vinegar as well. Just mix water and vinegar together using a 1:1 ratio and thoroughly wipe down your piece of furniture, then allow it to air dry.

How do you get musty smell out of wood furniture?

Bacteria and germs can permeate porous wood causing awful “old-smell” odors. To eliminate the smell, kill the bacteria and germs by cleaning the inside of the drawers and all surfaces with a sponge dampened with vinegar, Murphy's Oil Wood Soap or any Anti-Fungal Detergents. Then let dry in a well ventilated area.

Why does my dresser smell musty?

Musty smells are a result of mildew in your clothing or in your dresser. Mildew develops spores that accumulate in dark and damp environments, and even if we aren't able to visibly see them, the smell will give it away.

How do you deodorize a dresser?

Place a small cup filled with borax or baking soda in each drawer and close the drawers. Let the borax or baking soda absorb the odors for a few days if possible. I've also placed dryer sheets in each drawer for a few days. Dryer sheets work best if the smell is tolerable and not overwhelming.

Dresser Makeover - How to Get the Musty Smell Out of Old Furniture

What can I put in my dresser drawers to smell good?

Tucking little sachets of potpourri into closet corners or dresser drawers will also help keep your clothes smelling nice. Try tying up a couple tablespoons of lavender or lemongrass in a small cotton pouch or in some tissue paper.

How do you get thrift store smell out of furniture?

Everyone has a favorite home remedy, but here are some of the most popular:

  1. Baking soda: Either sprinkled on/in the furniture directly and then vacuumed off, and/or placed in bowls inside drawers.
  2. Kitty litter: It can be used in the same ways as baking soda, as described above.

How do you deodorize a wood dresser?

To remove musty smells from old furniture, fill plastic containers with white vinegar; seal, and punch holes in lids. Put one inside each drawer or cabinet overnight to absorb odors. For extreme cases, clean interiors with a vinegar-dampened cloth.

How can I make my drawers smell fresh?

How to keep clothes smelling fresh in drawers

  1. Tuck dryer sheets into your clothes drawers. ...
  2. Keep a small mesh bag of potpourri among your folded clothes. ...
  3. Store unused bar soap in your clothes drawers.

How do you get a smell out of wood?

Fill your bucket or container with warm water and 1 tsp Murphy Oil Soap per 1 cup warm water. This is a good soap to use on wood and for cleaning a smoke smell (or other strong odors) out of wood furniture.

How can I make my old wood cabinets smell better?

Vinegar and baking soda have both been known to absorb odors, although you won't want to mix them unless you want a mess on your hands! Leaving a bowl of vinegar in each cabinet overnight, or up to a day, can help remove the musty smell from your cabinets.

How do you disinfect a dresser drawer?

Sprinkle baking soda along the bottom of the drawer. Allow it to sit in the drawer for a couple hours. If there is a bad smell that is lingering inside the drawer, allow the baking soda to sit inside the drawer for several days to help absorb the odor. Use a vacuum cleaner or handheld vacuum to remove the baking soda.

What can I put in my wardrobe to smell nice?

10 LIFE-CHANGING HACKS FOR A CLOSET THAT SMELLS AMAZINGLY GOOD

  • SCENTED DRYER SHEETS. Dryer sheets can absorb bad odor. ...
  • ESSENTIAL OILS. ...
  • SOAP BARS. ...
  • BAKING SODA. ...
  • SCENTED WOODEN HANGERS. ...
  • HOMEMADE POTPOURRI. ...
  • VINEGAR. ...
  • PERFUMED COTTON BALLS OR TISSUE PAPERS.

How do you fix a musty drawer?

Place a lunchbox-sized container of baking soda, fresh coffee grounds, or cat litter inside for a couple of days with the doors/drawers closed, then remove the container and air the space again. This will help to absorb and neutralise the smell.

How do you get rid of vintage smell?

Fill a small spray bottle with white vinegar and lightly spritz the garment. That's all! It sounds strange, sure, but the acid in the vinegar will counter the odors by leveling out the pH. The vinegar smell will dissipate in short time, so you don't need to worry about smelling like salad dressing.

How do you deep clean an old dresser?

As a first step to removing layers of grime from old wood furniture, use an oil soap (Murphy Oil Soap Wood Cleaner, $4, Target) and water. Rinse and dry well. If the finish still seems dirty, clean lightly with #0000 steel wool dipped in a cleaning product.

How do you clean a bedroom dresser?

Related To:

  1. Dust the furniture to remove surface dirt. ...
  2. Start with the gentlest cleaner and move up to stronger ones as needed. ...
  3. Dip a soft cloth in the solution, wring it out and wipe the entire piece. ...
  4. Don't saturate the wood, and rinse your cloth often.
  5. Take a second, clean cloth and dry the piece thoroughly.

Why does my Ikea dresser smell?

IKEA furniture smells as a result of formaldehyde outgassing. Increased ventilation and heat should speed up outgassing and get rid of the smell. Keeping the item cool and dry can prevent outgassing. Baking soda, coffee grounds, charcoal, or a vinegar spray can absorb the odor.

What is the musty smell?

The smell of mold is typically described as “musty.” It's a stale and damp scent that lingers in the air. It's one of the first and the clearest sign of mold or mildew. If the initial scent is not very pungent, then it's likely that the mold has just started to form.

Does musty smell always mean mold?

Find the source of the musty smell:

And because the microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) emitted from mold and mildew have a low odor threshold, a musty smell does not necessarily mean that there is a lot of it. Before you try to cover up the odor, take some time to look around for patches of mildew or mold.

Why is there a musty smell in my bedroom?

Dust — Dust is made up of all kinds of gross things: dead skin, pollen, pet hair and dander, insects, insect droppings, and dirt. And that's just the start. Not only does dust make your room look and feel dirty, it also affects the quality of your air and can cause a musty smell.

Can musty smell make you sick?

Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin.

Does IKEA use formaldehyde in their furniture?

Formaldehyde is forbidden in all paint and lacquers used for IKEA products. A continuous work is ongoing together with the industry to reduce formaldehyde, to improve material and production methods and reach efficient industrial production capacity. There is no need to worry.

What is the scent in IKEA?

The scent of IKEA

Of these, two new fragrances – ADLAD and ENSTAKA – are designed by Ilse and her team.