Remove the dresser drawers and use baking soda to remove the smell.
Dressers, like any porous material in a home, absorb odors such as cigarette smoke, mildew, pet urine, rodent droppings, or smells from anything odoriferous stored in the dresser, such as sachets, colognes or spilled toiletries. A vintage or antique dresser may come with years of unknown smells that you'll need to remove before using it. Cleaning wood, particularly older or quality wood in a dresser, requires care to prevent damage. Using the right cleaning supplies will help you remove the smell and keep the dresser in good condition. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Work on the dresser in an area where you can leave the drawers out for a day or two. A sunny porch, spare room, garage, or a warm area will be useful for airing out the dresser.
2. Empty the dresser of all items. Pull out all the drawers. For drawers on runners, tip the drawer downward to unlock it from the runner, and pull it out all the way. Removing the drawers will allow air to circulate through the entire structure to help remove the smell.
3. Remove any drawer liners or paper inserts in the dresser. Dispose of them, as these materials retain odors.
4. Mix wood soap and room-temperature water. Wipe down all surfaces of the dresser, inside and out, including the bottoms and sides of the drawers, with the soap solution on a sponge or rag. Rinse the sponge often.
5. Sprinkle the drawers with a 1/4-inch layer of baking soda. Leave the drawers out of the dresser for at least 24 hours with the baking soda in them to absorb the odors.
6. Empty the baking soda out of the drawers. Sniff the dresser to check for any remaining smell. Strong odors such as cigarette smoke or pet urine may require an additional cleaning.
7. If further odor removal is needed, mix 1 tsp. peppermint castile soap and 1 tsp. borax with 2 cups of room-temperature water. Dip a clean rag or sponge in the cleaning solution. Wring it out well to avoid getting the wood overly wet. Apply the cleaning solution to all the inside surfaces of the dresser. Don't apply this solution to the exterior surfaces; it could mar the finish.
Tags: baking soda, remove smell, absorb odors, cigarette smoke, cleaning solution, drawers with
