Deodorizing Sideboard - Help!

Hello!

I bought an amazingly beautiful Eastlake sideboard to use for my bourbon collection. Only problem is the previous owner stored scented candles closed up inside it and now the inside reeks like a perfumy funeral parlor. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the odor? I currently have baking soda in it and just added some activated charcoal a few days ago. I have wiped down the interior with vinegar water to no avail.

The piece is too gigantic to sit in the sun.

 

kitty litter

 

Hi,
You can paste wax the interior which should help. As a last resort you could varnish the interior. The best is rent or buy an ozone machine. It will remove any odors within a few hours.
greg

 

Thought about the ozone machine but I have a cat and a parrot and ozone machines are dangerous for them so I may end up trying waxing the inside, or some have said to use an odor sealing shellac, if easier methods don't work

 

Greg is right. Those ozone machines are worth their weight in gold. I bought an old, old trunk that was a combination of musty and smelled of moth balls. 6 hours of ozone treatment and it was like new.

 

This is my treasure a/k/a the offending piece. LOL

 

Hi,
You put the piece in a plastic bag and hook the outflow to the outside of a window. I have three cats and as long as the piece is sealed there is no danger to the pets. I have sealed several rooms by taping off the vents and using a rug to seal the bottoms of door. as long as you vent the piece to the outside they are fine. I would NEVER just use a machine without "tenting" it. It works great on cars. I got rid of smells from a nest of mice and cigarette smokers from a car that everyone thought was ruined. Those little machines that you are to run in a room are just a waste of electric power.
greg

 

I would go buy bags of cat litter - the Fullers Earth kind - tip the thing on its back and literally fill it with the stuff. Leave it a week.

 

OH MY!!!! Kitty Litter or Ozone machine!!!! @Ownedbybear, do you then have bags and bags of litter to dispose of????????????????

Also, Sideboard is SO NEAT!!!!!

 

Was in the same family for 3 generations but the current owner was moving to Fl and didn't want to take it. Got if for a ridiculously good price. Excellent condition and all original, though I think mirror has been replaced because it's too perfect. I still get giddy when I see it

 

I get cat litter delivered in 20 kilo bags - 13 at a time!

 

Wipe it down with bourbon.

 

My sideboard has the same issue, but I was the culprit with the scented candles.

 

LOL, Bakers comes clean!

I would agree with Greg, Ozone is best as it destroys the odor never to return but, it can be dangerous if not handled properly.

"When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections."

I never tried it but like the concept!

 

I don't know, I can think a better use for the bourbon

 

Well, if i ever did try it, would absolutely bring a glass along to make sure bourbon had not gone bad.

 

I have successfully used a peeled fresh onion on a saucer in rooms that I have just painted. Leave overnight. The onion seems to absorb the paint smell and does not leave any smell behind. Might be worth a shot before anything more expensive.

 

Or, as long as it's just candles, keep the cabinet doors closed and leave bad enough alone? I'd try a container of baking soda. Pop the top, bung it in, and close the door. Leave it alone for a few days to a week. It works on refrigerators and in cat boxes. It's a heckuva lot cheaper than an ozone machine and safe around cats.

 

I've used that onion trick with paint, it works really well.