I might take a little longer, but I think you should still give it a shot. Sprinkle Borax all over the carpet, leave for the weekend and vacuum upon return. Burning question: What is that second-hand store smell & what can you do about it? Hope you can help methanks! The suns light has an amazing effect on molecules. Then I decoupage the inside of the drawers with fabric or paper. Im definitely going to have to try the vinegar. All great tips! Make sure the clothes are dry before doing this. I love wearing my secondhand stuff. Nonetheless, it is still necessary that you choose the right Chriatian The item will smell like coffee for a bit but once the smell goes away the thrift store stink is gone. And the takeaway on this is .. always, always, always wash new-to-you clothes as soon as you get them home! It was gorgeous though it was certainly in need of some love. Lemon juice (vapors): Likewise, I bet on the citric acid to reach everywhere inside the furniture. I too was like you and only left it outdoors for a day. Rent a storage box! Until then, I have a vintage suit case to put outside because baking soda, coffee and dryer sheets havent been effective. Asking questions are really pleasant thing if you are Remember to recycle the newspapers after or tear them up and put them in your garden. I never reuse the litter!! My nose isn't very sensitive so it must have been bad. I tried newspaper stuffing, I tried bleach & water misting, I tried sunning. Guess my ghost gave up the fight. If you make a purchase using links in this article, I could receive a commission. Add vinegar to the fabric softener section of your washing machine so that the clothes get a rinse in vinegar at the end of the cycle. I know the shop should have washed it. Fold tumble dryer sheets tucked in amongst your clothing for a fresh scent. I bought a dress from ebay which the seller had doused in that scented deodorant spray that is advertised. The smell remains! I've tried just hanging it in the bathroom for a few days to "air out", but not much change. I cannot cope with the smell in charity shops heaven knows what it is. Get the instructions for cleaning your. Vinegar is also actually a good fabric softener for towels too! Bookmarked. I agree that sometimes you just need time. I cleaned the dressers themselves from top to bottom with Murphys Oil Soap. When storing your clothes away especially if youre packing them away for the season or just storing kids clothes away maybe to hand down to the next kid in a few years just take a little extra time and care and follow these steps to keep clothes as fresh as possible. Is there any way of getting rid of the smell? Not good for other things. You can pick these up in the supermarkets on the laundry product aisle. If that is the case, try sealing it with an oil based product. And I do find that with the washable clothes the smell goes out in the wash. Its more the jackets and sweaters that smell. Especially smoke. A vinegar and water solution should do the trick as well. I am so grateful to have found this site with all these tips! If you try, be sure not to soak the wood too much but then again it wont go in deep. I believe I have awoken the beasties from hibernation. Another thing to consideris the dresser very old? Ive heard a lot about activated charcoal (the kind available in the fish section of most pet stores). Check out thredUp and see my review on my Clearance section scores. Keep replacing until the odor is gone. however, shops arent able to wash any of the clothes and sometimes you dont notice the smell until you get home when the clothes are in a smaller space. Thank you so much for the tips! Be careful though, as they will not make a distinction for the wood molecules or the varnish and paint ! Is it may be connected to your childhood somehow? Here are some tips on how to get rid of this musky second-hand store smell: Second-hand stores are full of beautiful fashion finds and unique accessories. Here is what worked for me I did a battery of things simultaneously so I dont know what actually did the trick. Its good to know ways to clean the items. I bought second-hand a nice leather jacket that has knit cotton inserts on the inside aspect of the long sleeves and in the back for stretch. Jonathan, where have you disappeared to? Ill now try bananas for any stench! Yes, the Facebook pop-up is very annoying. We used a powerful commercial urine remover. Perhaps the paint used to paint the dresser was expired/spoiled, in which case, it will smell bad for some time. And yes, I have used baking soda, and yes, it has worked, but its probably too weak for really bad odors. It was a fun project one summer when I was home from college. They have a website, http://www.fizzionclean.com , this product is GREAT!!. A few hours in the warm afternoon sun and the smell is gone. Im going to have to try it out. I now have a moka pot-pourrit drawer! But things are changing and more and more second-hand shops are cleaning up (pun intended) their act by creating a welcoming space for their clients. Maybe you know how did the last store make the clothes smell good? My mom bought an antique dresser last year, unaware that it was replete with stinkiosity. Please additionally consult with my website =). Use these scent-boosting beads with your laundry detergent for up to 12 weeks of long-lasting scented freshness from wash until wear its like magic. Some are worse than others. Let me help you with making the right choices when buying clothes so that you can look good and help the environment at the same time. Love that. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. I currently have this fabulous find in my upstairs hall, shes been painted up like a beauty, but now has dryer sheets inside each drawer! If it is definitely moth balls youre smelling, you can sand the interior of the chest. If you love clean, fresh laundry you might love How to remove ink from clothes The easy way to remove ink stains. Websites rovide good collections oof this work today along with thee audio and video clippings oof the events held to present Once the coffee smell is gone, maybe it will have lessened the other. I will post the results after I have tried this solution.. Victorian under stair pine lined closet smells mouldy. Go for it and do all you can but in the end let time do its work! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Youll want to steer clear of 100 percent cotton fabrics because they take a long time to dry and will allow body odor to bloom in the meantime. I get it at home depot for $10 a gallon. No luck yet, but thanks to everyone who responded I have new hope. I couldnt testify to that but i know it works well with smells. Ive used sunshine, baking soda, soap & water, and an enzyme-based odor eliminator called Fresh Ayre. Add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle and it gets rid of lots of odours. If you find mould, use a mould cleaner suitable for whatever your wardrobe is made of to clear it. You definitely have to check it out at http://www.biocidesystems.com/roomshocker1.html. I wiped it down with wood polish, pine sol, and other cleaners. I will try the Vodka, if that fails I am throwing it out. When I clicked on the bottom topic (this one) it didn't appear.Going to work my way upwards and see what happens. I am hoping to try it this summer with a piece of luggage and see if it helps. This drawer definitely smell less then all the others now, but the smell is not totally gone. When displaying jackets in the store, hang them out not too tightly together, so the air can circulate around them. I noticed the funny smell. Did you fall in love with a jacket or a purse after all? For some reason, used grounds tend to absorb oders better for me than dry, new grounds. It stuck that old smell big time ! To get rid of the smell in the washing machine, I did 2-3 loads with just hot water and lots and lots of vinegar. I read that you can dilute hydrogen peroxide and spray the inside and of the furniture and drawers and this will eliminate the odor completely. And we never use mothballs ourselves! The easy way to use baking soda to remove smells on clothes is to sprinkle baking soda evenly all over the clothing (This is obviously okay for cotton and polyester, but you should consider doing a patch test with other fabrics, such as rayon or cashmere sweaters). If the. . No popular until I got back to the top one and there it was again. PHEW!). Heres my two centsLast October I scored a terrific deal on a (large) rustic hutch at a local non-profits community yard sale. I figured Id have to wash all the walls, maybe even paint them and definitely shampoo the carpet. A nightmare just to imagine putting a brand new little person in there! (This is when they completely stopped smelling musty.) So far, this has always worked for me. Im such a vintage and second store enthusiast and Id love for more of my friends to join me, but I hear from them that the smell is the biggest argument why they wont shop second-hand. The great answer is that its super easy to finally get rid of those smells on secondhand clothing. My grandma gave me an old desk of hers and that thing REEKS. I fill a spray bottle with 1/3 hot water and 2/3 inexpensive vodka and spray lightly all pieces inside and out and respray the inside of the drawers a second time. Or find out how to clean white trainers here. Im guessing you may need to strip the piece and redo it. Since then, it has sat in my garage, waiting for its turn in the redo queue. I took some cleaner in a spray container and lightly spritzed the inside and the outside. An antique dealer told me about it years ago. I pour a small bowl full of baking soda and put it in each closed drawer. the only difference is the dresser has already been painted. Not a whole lot of men posting here, but I will risk myself! I would love some other suggestions. Hope it helps! Ill be trying a lot of these tips this weekend! I couldnt wear it until I figured out how to get the smell out of the clothes. She also was an avid pine sol user and it never removed the smell entirely (ever smelled a cooler with bait left in it for a month during summer? Thanks so much for passing that along. I have used the cat litter trick as well as soaking a cotton ball in vanilla extract and placing in a small plate inside the drawer. Its better not think about it and wash your newly bought garment at home before wearing it. Works well. Unfortunately, I had to stop my tests since we moved out and I had other things on my mind. Another trick I sometimes use is a big bowl of hot milk that I let cool where the bad smell is, works like the baking soda and so far they have worked. Again dry the item outside on the washing line leaving it to blow through for at least a day. Took about a week but now theres absolutely no lingering odor. Thanks for the tips! Might want to try Bleach if the carpet can stand it (is soap did not work). If you can air dry then thats even better. I wipe them down with 1:1 vinegar:water!!!! There is a product called Damp Rid. Practical post , Apropos , if your business is interested a TSP-U-70 , my boss encountered a fillable document here https://goo.gl/LfP6fk. Fahion Library: How did I save 1132,70 in one month. Then I take out the drawers, set everything out on the driveway on an old painters cloth. All of these ideas sound great too! Was wondering if i could just put a coat of clear laquer or polyurethane to cure the stink. Even washing seems to leave it behind a bit. I havent tested this yet on wood but my mom used to have us turn my dads fishing cooler and plastic trash cans upside down on the grass. Unfortunately, I have tried most all of these and still have no answer! When youve taken the time and effort to get your clothes smelling fresh and feeling clean, the last thing you want to do is put them back into your wardrobe with a musty smell. Lots of good ideas. I bought it at a flea market from an elderly couple and it is adorable. Im so glad you mentioned that! LOL!) I wondered if it 's insecticide. Since citric acid is a lot less volatile than acetic acid (vinegar) no effect was observed. Laying the clothes on a towel or sheet, then sprinkling baking soda all over the clothing. Want latest sustainable fashion news right into your inbox? Of course, you can still seal the odor inside the wood with more varnish, shellac or paint, but it is still there ! I love spending hours in thrift stores, searching for my next treasure. Our cube style freezer was full of meat, ugh!! Please help! Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). I,m with you there Polremy, I do not have any intention of joining facebook even if it means no Gransnet!! Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic. I have used this trick many times. thanks! while looking for ways to remove the musty /mouldy smell, I came across your website . If youre really short on time and have no time to wash or air the item of clothing then youll need a fabric freshener spray. Only a guess. For small objects you can put the kitty litter in a garbage bag and close it up for a couple of days. In addition to kitty litter, vinegar, etc mentioned above.I have also had success rehabbing a dresser that had a lovely musty-nursing home aroma by thoroughly cleaning it, followed by a round of sunshine, then a round of Murphys Oil soaping> Followed by a 2 week stint in a really dry room with the drawers FULL of cedar chips (can buy cheaply in bulk at pet stores or farm supply stores). Now tell me how to get rid of the same odor from a piano. When I bought these amazing finds from thredUp I absolutely loved the clothing when it came. Depending on the intensity of the smell, some items only need a day or two sitting out in these [], [] days when rain or another precipitation isnt within the forecast, humidity ranges are low, and the sun is out. Organic solvents (vodka, alcohols in general, oils, paint thinner) will instead try to dissolve the original ester and wash it away. Theses molecules are sensible to acid (like vinegar, boric acid, lemon juice) and bases (like baking soda, soaps, ammonia). First, I washed each drawer with a damp cloth & disinfectant (I used Tilex Mildew Remover.) It works great. I really thought the enzyme way was the way to go. As others have posted, basswood used for the drawers of old furniture smells worse as it ages. Jackson Galaxy, told about a product called FISSION. So, first thing is first, clean out that wardrobe! Hope your still around! A good example of a second-hand store (actually it was a swapping store) that doesnt cram its shelves and racks to the brims. And as they turned black, they began to absorb the smell. Sometimes I let it air out for a week if the smell is bad. I BOUGHT AN OLD, VERY WELL CONSTRUCTED, DESK AT A FLEA MARKET. Cool!Thanks for the tip! They flattened and blackened, yet didnt create any odor themselves as they literally sucked the smoke out of the walls, ceilings and carpet. Okay, this does sound like magic. It took about a week or two but the stench finally left. For total disinfecting I use Sol-U-Guard too which is a hospital grade disinfectant but not toxic like Lysol is. A little insight on the chemistry of odors. Wash the clothing in another load again to remove the smell. (and smells like a strange version of musty-Snuggle) I am disappointed, I never tried the Sunshine! I works at neutralizing odors, kills mold and mildew. If it worked for the freezer, Im sure it would work for any smell out there:). Less is more. Baking Soda Another old trick is putting baking soda inside the piece to absorb the odors, just as you would your refrigerator and freezer. bad reputation of the company. Experienced carvers recommend against using this wood for furniture for that reason. I havent heard that before. For a clean and tidy home get our BESTcleaning tipshere. So, what do you do if you have a wooden piece, such as a dresser, that has that smell? I have experimented with a few different options, and perhaps one of them will work for you. I am trying it tomorrow. About 5 bananas total for a 60 foot mobile home. Most people arent using all-natural detergents and fabric softeners. It can also affect people with allergies and can cause a fatal lung infection if breathed in. It was a bit of work but The dressers now smell perfect! I tried Murphys Oil Soap, baking soda and charcoal, to no avail. then I covered the coat with a thin piece of cloth and sprinkled with the charcoal I let it stay untouched for 2-3 days. Thanks so much! Read more about our best smelling laundry detergents here. It clears out moths, museum bugs and smell. Tape it well to seal. (The whole reason cedar chests are used for storage is their natural moth-repelling abilities. I 2 have cats one with a bladder problem have tried every product on the market and nothing seemed to work,until I saw the new T.V. I filled the mug with wadded up newspaper and screwed the lid back on. Apparently, sometimes the old odor is actually the Basswood that the drawers used to be made out of as it was cheaper. You can use little deodoriser sachets or lavender or herb bags in amongst the clothes to keep them smelling fresh. This also works for old pantries, old cupboards, old vanity cupboards in the bath. I was inpatient with this piece and only left it out for an afternoon, but a few days would have been ideal. I DID NOT! Do you, perhaps, have some advice to the shop owners and to the customers on how to minimize the smell or how to deal with it? Place odor absorbing product inside. thats reassuring to know Saving this post to my favorites for future reference. (Part of that is due to its highly acidic nature; lemon is a great cleaner for the same reason.). I love that carpet powder stuff it really works! If the smell is still lingering, use a plate of. My nose is not the sharpest one around town so if I can smell it, my girlfriend will undoubtedly. After trying to clean a dresser with several different cleaning products to eliminate the bad smell and failing, I lightly sanded the surfaces with an electric sander. I am now sure I can redeem my lovely find. She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas. We could have a link change arrangement between us. It hasn't always been like that. Not only can the fragrance cause headaches and allergies in some people, but a study found that scented laundry products release carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). I googled solutions (one even suggested a spirit is haunting the piece and I could pay a small fee to have it cast- out!!! re the piano: I would try using activated charcoal or other suggested odor absorbing product, after first completely enclosing the piano in plastic. LOL Great job on some of your stuff, just found your blog. Then I put them out in the sun for 2 days. Vodka! Long time since I posted ! Copyright 2022 Get Green Be Well | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, How Much You Can Make on ThredUp Online Consignment Store, Check out my favorite charcoal closet deodorizers, see my review on my Clearance section scores. Posted on Published: August 31, 2017- Last updated: September 28, 2020, ThredUp Review: Buying Clothes on Clearance, Best RV Water Filters for Fresh Drinking Water. I have in my hand a can of Lysol Desinfectant Spray, Antibacterial Action ,says it kills viruses,bacteria,mold and mildew,eliminates odors, thought I would try it. I use it all the time now and cant detect any smokey smell. When it comes to making body odor worse. This is a white elephant and stinking up my apartment. If its winter then I do all in the garage and let the piece dry over-night. Our free daily newsletter full of hot threads, competitions and discounts. :} ) The only thing that worked was upturning on the grass. I used that stuff a few times a week, and it was the only thing that helped.