Removing wood smell

[jhsulliv]

This is such a random question, but it's been driving me nuts and you all are a smart bunch. As many of you know I'm living back at home after being displaced by a fire early on in the year. Obviously we have ALL new things so I have a brand new wood dresser (its particle board with the laminate finish, nothing special) and despite having it for almost 4 months now it still reeks to high heaven. All of my clothes come out smelling like chemical coated wood. I have tried dryer sheets, drawer liners, baking soda, odor absorbers, everything. After 5 days it all picks up the smell of the dresser. I personally HATE the smell of cedar and other heavily scented woods and that is what this reminds me of. I'm thinking I may need to try to seal the wood as the inside of the drawers aren't sealed, but then I wonder if that might make it worse and then have my clothes smell like that.

Any ideas?

[monkeywrench133]

Re: Removing wood smell

The only thing I can suggest is a couple heavy coats of a clear polyurethane paint. I'd stay away from "sealants" because you will get that chemical smell for a while, but I think the polyurethane will be better at controlling the wood smell, and it itself won't stink as bad as a sealant.

The only other thing I can think of would be an ozone generator. That'll kill the smell if you expose the wood to it long enough. It'll kill everything else in the area too, but at least it won't smell like wood!! LOL!

[jhsulliv]

Re: Removing wood smell

I know all about ozone. Everything that we had that was in the fire that they felt they could "restore" was "ozoned" as they called it and it really did remove odors well. I think once the weather warms up enough I will use polyurethane on it all. Thanks Erin.