A chest of drawers appears charming in your bedroom, but it is not so appealing once the furniture, especially the insides of the fireplace, has a musty odor. Older furniture, such as the pieces you find at thrift stores, antique stores and yard sales, frequently tends to smell somewhat old and stale. A musty smell grows if moisture gets in the drawers, and they are not properly dried afterward. Washing the drawers with soapy water is not sufficient to quash the stench; rather, try a mixture of natural deodorizers and commercial cleaning solutions.

Remove the drawers from the chest, if possible. If you can’t eliminate them entirely, open them as much as you can. Remove all clothing and other items from the drawers to allow the drawers to air out and help dissipate the musty odor.

Fill a few bowls with clay cat litter, dry ground coffee, baking soda or charcoal briquettes. Set the bowls in each drawer, then leave them to get a couple of days to help absorb the smells.

Rub the insides of the drawers using lemon-oil furniture polish or spray them with an odor-fighting disinfectant.

Combine three parts water and one part household bleach if the smell remains. Wet a cloth with the solution and squeeze out any excess moisture. Wipe all unvarnished surfaces within the drawers. Smell the drawers; if the musty odor has not dissipated, wet a sponge with clean water and wipe down the interior of the drawers. Follow up by spraying the drawers Using a deodorizer.

Coat the drawers with two layers of water-based polyurethane, with a foam brush, if the smell won’t go away. Cover bare hardwood only, not timber that has been painted or varnished. Let the drawers dry outdoors or inside a room with good ventilation. Polyurethane seals in the scent.

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