Anyone used wood soap to remove smell from old wooden furniture?

[redandorangeleaves]

Just bought a chest of drawers on ebay and the smell is so bad I may have to take it to the skip! It smells musty. Done some online research and somewhere suggested wood soap but Amazon has tonnes of products. Would oil soap do the job? Thanks for any advice.

I once asked a furniture restorer about that, and she recommended wiping with white spirit (volatile fumes so do it outdoors). Mine was French polished, which dissolves in alcohol but not white spirit, but it removes wax and oil.

Bare untreated wood will not be harmed, so the inside and back surfaces which may have absorbed the smell. Be careful of any varnish or other finish in case it softens.

Thanks pigletjohn. Think we already have white spirit too so no extra expense! Did it work for you?

Yes, but not perfect. I think time, air, and damp sponging helped too. The wood must not get damp.

Ok, thanks. Will give it a go. The smell is so bad that even paper kept in a drawer overnight smells for a good few hours afterwards. Such a shame as I love second hand furniture.

Just a thought...would painting the inside work? We plan to strip and re-treat anyway so a quick coat or two of egg shell wouldn't be too much trouble

it might help, but only for a while, the smell will get through. Clean and air it as well as you can first.

My old table and chest had been in a kitchen, and I think that the smell was captured in the greasy cooking mist.