Bad smell in furniture: 10 tips to know

A scourge affecting both new and old furniture, bad odors find a breeding ground in our storage spaces. How to permanently get rid of these inconveniences? Before you get rid of your beautiful wooden cabinets or take full advantage of your Murphy bed , these 10 tips should help you!

Removing a bad smell from new or old furniture: 10 tips to know

If in most cases, humidity and lack of ventilation are responsible for musty and mold odors, particularly in old wooden furniture, certain chemical treatments also give our newly purchased furniture unpleasant odors.

1. Ventilate your spaces: the basics for making bad odors disappear

All in all logical, daily air circulation is essential to say goodbye to musty odors and thus preserve your health! In France, the cost of indoor air quality is estimated at 19 billion euros per year. Respiratory problems, allergies, etc. : we are exposed to many pollutants every day . With nearly 85% of our time spent in enclosed spaces, from home to transportation to the workplace, ventilation is not a luxury.

How to properly ventilate your home?

• Priority to the kitchen and the bathroom , especially if the latter is near your bedroom: ventilate during and after each cooking and after each shower;

• Favor ventilation before 10 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in order to avoid peaks of outdoor pollution, especially if you live in a city;

• Leave your windows open for at least 15 minutes per day;

• If you dry your laundry indoors, be sure to leave a window open to limit humidity;

• The arrival of new furniture also requires ventilation of the rooms in which you will place it, particularly in the children's bedroom;

• Aeration and ventilation are two different phenomena: even with windows, certain rooms such as the bathroom and the kitchen can have ventilation systems (VMC) to ensure continuous air renewal.

2. Clean your furniture from top to bottom twice a year

You know the saying: “prevention is better than cure”! As summer approaches and fall ends, take the time to remove your clothes from your wardrobes, dishes from your furniture, etc. to give it a big clean. Not only will you anticipate the phenomenon of proliferation of bad odors but you will also be able to sort and thus free up space for better air circulation!

How do I take care of my sofa?

Major cleaning operation: how to go about it?

Please note, not all furniture is maintained in the same way depending on its materials.

For old wood:

• If your antique furniture is valuable, do not use commercial cleaning products;
• As a precaution, contact a professional before starting cleaning;
• Pass a cloth dampened with lukewarm water inside your furniture;
• The application of cold tea ensures quick and effective cleaning, particularly on waxed wooden furniture.

For more modern furniture:

• Distill a few drops of black soap in lukewarm water;
• Soak a clean microfiber cloth in the mixture then wring out;
• Pass the cloth inside the furniture;
• Rinse with lukewarm water then dry immediately using absorbent paper or a dry microfiber.

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3. Give your cabinets a delicate natural scent

What would you like to be able to enjoy your cleanse for months without doing anything? You've probably already smelled the sweet scent of lavender emanating from your grandmother's wardrobe.

Effective against moths and bad odors, sachets of dried flowers, aromatic plants or even spices are infinitely available: rosemary, rose, cedarwood, lavender, mint, etc.

How to create a bouquet of homemade scents?

• If you have a balcony, you can grow the chosen herb yourself;
• Once picked, place the flowers or herbs on a sheet of baking paper;
• Place the sheet on your oven rack;
• Let the plants dry for a few days away from humidity;
• Make small bags or sacrifice a sock to accommodate dried flowers or herbs;
• Place the sachets in your drawers or at the foot of your cupboard.

If you are not a fan of the smell of lavender, you can opt for other solutions: used (dried) tea bags can be a solution. Indeed, tea contains tannin, and the latter neutralizes bad odors.

Also, take advantage of citrus peels. Lemons, grapefruit or even orange will give your furniture a fresh scent and get rid of bad odors in your furniture.

4. Place chalk in your furniture to absorb moisture

Chalk to reduce humidity in your cupboards? Admit that you wouldn't have thought of that! However, this “system D” remedy can protect your clothes, papers as well as your computer equipment.

• Place a few chalks in a protective bag used to machine wash delicate lingerie;
• Place the bag on a shelf or at the bottom of your linen closet to avoid contact with your clothes.

5. Disinfect moldy wooden furniture

Before you start stripping your furniture, do not hesitate to call a professional to avoid damaging it further. Several steps will be necessary to restore your furniture to its former glory.

has. Air the furniture

• Remove your furniture from its drawers and place it, if possible, in a well-ventilated room;
• Place coffee grounds in a bowl inside the furniture to combat the bad smell;
• If the ventilation in the room seems insufficient to you, opt for a dehumidifier. Change the filter as soon as necessary.

b. Sand your furniture to allow the wood to breathe

• Take a sheet of fine sandpaper, with more than 280 grit, if you do not want to completely renovate it;
• Always sand along the grain of the wood;
• Remove the dust as you go;
• Wipe with a damp cloth once interior sanding is complete.

vs. Disinfect and deodorize

• Prepare a mixture with a few drops of black soap mixed with lukewarm water;
• Apply this preparation to the inside of your furniture with a microfiber;
• Rinse, taking care not to leave too much water on the furniture;
• If certain odors persist, squeeze the juice of a lemon, mix it with lukewarm water and wipe over the inside of the furniture;
• Leave to dry for several days.

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6. Remove the smell of urine from furniture

Does your cat seem to particularly appreciate your cabinet to mark its territory? Don't panic, solutions exist to make these ammonia odors disappear.

• Make a preparation based on two tablespoons of baking soda in a glass of white vinegar;

• Apply this mixture to the urine stain(s) with a brush;

• Rinse for a long time with lukewarm water, taking care not to wet the furniture too much;

• Rub half a lemon on the stain and rinse again;

• Let it dry for a few days before filling your furniture again.

To avoid accidents, there are techniques to limit the damage your animals do with your furniture .

7. Put a bowl filled with baking soda to combat bad odors

To make musty smells disappear, nothing beats good old baking soda!

• Fill a bowl with baking soda;
• Place it in your dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets, etc. previously emptied of their contents;
• Leave to air for a day then close the furniture;
• Remove the bowl a few days later.

8. Store your furniture optimally to let air circulate

In other words, no more letting your furniture collapse under clothes, books, dishes, etc. By optimizing the storage of your belongings, you will let air circulate. More air ensures that bad odors won't appear!

9. Avoid mixing your shoes and clean things in your wardrobes

Having a dressing room is a must for storing your clothes and shoes. However, be careful with this type of combination which can cause germs and other fungi to proliferate!

• Be sure to place shoes in a closed space to avoid contact with other parts of the dressing room;
• Do not mix dirty and clean laundry in a closed cupboard;
• Be careful to put away your laundry once it is completely dry;
• Air out the dressing room and your cupboards twice a week.

10. Don’t try to hide bad odors

Absolutely avoid using commercial air fresheners to mask musty or moldy odors in your furniture. If certain scents are unpleasant, first find the cause. Smell of cold tobacco ? Presence of mold on your walls? You must first attack the root of the problem. The use of spray can be just as toxic as the origin of the bad odor. Keep an eye out and act on these olfactory nuisances as soon as they appear!

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