Antiques are meant to be kept for generations and can make your living room look cozier. But just like any other piece of furniture, they can get musty.
A musty smell can be an indication of dry rot or mold. If left untreated, the problem can progress to a much worse condition that costs much more to fix. It also decreases the resale value of antique furniture.
Worry not, with the following ways mentioned in this article. You’ll be able to detect and remove the root of the stink and purify your furniture back to new again.
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Use Dryer Sheets
This way is good enough if you are dealing with very light smells. Dryer sheet act as a mask for the musty smell. It does not take away the odor completely. The thing you need to do is line all drawers using dryer sheets.
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Carpet Powder or Baking Soda
You can use this method when experiencing mild to moderate musty smells. Take baking soda/ carpet powder in a bowl and locate it in the drawer. If you have multiple drawers, then do the same for each one.
The quantity of baking soda you are going to use depends on the size of the drawer. The bigger the size, the more baking soda/ carpet powder you need. Leave the baking soda/ carpet powder in the drawer for a minimum of one week. The baking soda/ carpet powder absorbs the musty smell completely from antique wardrobes.
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Water/Vinegar Solution
This trick works best for hard musty smells. To carry out this process, you need to take white vinegar. In case if you don’t have access to white vinegar, you can also use apple vinegar. The thing you need to do is to mix vinegar and water in an equal ratio.
Prepare a solution, then take a piece of cloth and dip it inside the key. Clean your antique furniture with this wet cloth. After doing so, leave it until it completely dried up.
You can also make use of the spray technique. You can spray the entire furniture with a water/ vinegar solution. Doing this will completely remove the musty smell from your antique cabinets.
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Murphy’s Wood Cleaner
Murphy’s wood cleaner is the ultimate wood cleaning solution. It is just like a bomb when it comes to the musty smell. You can use it without having any skills. Put some of Murphy’s oil soap on a clean cloth. Now wipe down all the areas of antique wood cabinets or carvings in wardrobes.
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Painting
If any of the methods mentioned above do not work in your case, Then the final and most effective solution you can adopt is painting. The more powerful the primer is, the better it will perform in musty smell eradication. It allows you to block or seal the smelly areas within your antique furniture. Doing it just inside also allows you to get a better effect. Powerful paint primers can prevent rot, discoloration, and bleeding in old wood or porous surfaces.
Primer is a special liquid. You can use it chiefly to make the paint adhere better to the surface of a substance. The application of the primer helps to seal the pores in the wood. It also helps in preventing moisture from entering the wood. It gives your antique furniture the “just furnished” feel again.
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Charcoal or Grounded Coffee
Placing charcoal or ground coffee in your drawers helps you naturally remove the musty smell. Covering your drawers with these materials and replacing them periodically (weekly) also works best when maximum performance is needed.
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Use Bleach
The main reason behind the musty smell is bacteria or germs. Bleaching is effective in the elimination of these microbes. The thing you need to do is take bleach and add in ten times the quantity of water. Apply this solution to your antique furniture.
Leave the furniture to dry for 30 minutes. It will result in the eradication of all microbial growth and germs.
Verdict
Antique furniture is worth it. Nobody can deny this. You can keep up your furniture for longer using the tricks mentioned above. Doing this will also make your furniture last longer with zero downfalls in resale price. We will be glad to know which tricks work best for you. Comment below if you need any assistance or information on anything related.