Getting foosty smell out of old furniture

[MauraLabingi]

Got an old wooden cupboard second hand, complete with foosty smell. I have tried:

• cleaning with Flash and leaving to dry in sun
• leaving bicarb in the cupboard overnight
• Dettol anti-mould spray
• scrubbing thoroughly with strong Fairy solution, then hosing
• drying in sun again

It still smells quite a lot. The next step is to paint the inside with an anti-mould varnish, which would hopefully seal in the smell. But I'd rather not spend £20 if possible, and also it seems such a nuclear solution!

Anything else I could try first?

Clove oranges. They are not a quick solution, but eventually the wood takes on the smell of the clove oranges. Can you not use the cupboard for a few months while the clove oranges work their magic?

@Aparecium sorry to be dumb, but do you literally mean an orange stabbed all over with cloves, like you do at Christmas? Doesn't it go mouldy in the cupboard?!

Spray it with diluted essential oil - eucalyptus

Just stop with all that. You need to take apart the cupboard where you can- ie unscrew hinges to take off doors. You then need to give it a good sanding and refinish it. All the cleaning products you are throwing at it will only push the oils causing the smell further into the wood by making it wet.

Yes, stuck all over. The cloves preserve it. This lemon and this orange are about 20y old, rock hard, and smell heavenly. The box they're in also smells wonderful.

Thank you. You are definitely right, and if the construction permitted I would do that. But the amount of time required I think if I paid myself minimum wage I could buy a new cupboard 🤣

Wow!!

Fair point, refinishing furniture and restoring antiques is a hobby of mine so i don’t mind the time. I also have my little electric mouse sander and that speeds things up!

I got rid of woodworm and fusty smell from cupboard by spraying until really wet with polish and then leaving it like that overnight. I wiped and re-sprayed next day and have not had any woodworm or smell since.

When was the furniture made -I have some old bedroom furniture maybe 40/50s built. They used glue made from ? Horse hoof and the furniture smells -not too bad from outside but drawers stink. Painting inside might stop it.

Hmm it's not that old I don't think. Definitely smells of mould rather than horse 🤣 I will try the paint if no success with missdemeanor's polish idea.

• leaving bicarb in the cupboard overnight

Things like this need a lot longer, at least a week.

Oh thank you 😊 I will give it a good long chance with the bicarb then.