This question has been discussed many times on this forum. Most will suggest all of the options that you have tried. Kitty litter is also an option.
My opinion is ( and this is often disputed) that the odor is both in the wood and in/on the finish and the only way to truely get rid of it would be to re finish the pieces.

A last attempt option would be to lightly sand the inside of the cedar chest this will "re activate" the cedar and maybe get rid of the odor. I still think the odor will remain because I still think it's in the finish.
You could try the same thing with the insides and outsides of all the drawers. Lightly sand and then use any basic spray wax and wipe clean.
Both attempts might improve the odor, but in the long run I think they will need to be refinished.

Most cedar chests are not finished on the inside, so the theory of refinishing to remove the smell won't help.
I am still saying time and fresh air.
Do you have "stuff" in the dresser and chest? Or are they still sitting empty? My thought is perhaps something you have in there had mothballs in it. That mothball smell will disappear with time and lots of fresh air....and heat helps it disapate....and sanding the insides of the cedar chest.....and removing the sandings.
Linda C

Thanks.

I had thought of sanding the inside of the chest (no, it's not finished - so hopefully this will work!)

The dressers have sat empty since we got them... so there are no moth balls left in there. The smell could be in the finish... but they don't smell (nearly as bad!) when the drawers are closed. I put 1 t-shirt in a drawer for a few weeks and the stench of it was awful when I pulled it out.

I may try a light sand in the drawers even though they aren't cedar.

I would fill the pieces with something like old towels...figuring that if they absorb some of the volatile stuff that is creating the odor, there will be less in the dressers....wash the towels and repeat. If it is the smell of camphor, that is a waxy, solvent based material....and perhaps wiping the insides with mineral spirits would remove some of the camphor oils which are making your chest smell.
Linda C

Cedar chests should not be finished on the inside, that would defeat the purpose of the cedar being there.

I did not suggest that it was finished, but there is no doubt that the cedar can and will retain some of that musty odor and that is why you would sand the inside.

No suggestions on how to get rid of that rank odor, but if you want to use the furniture, I'd store items in plastic containers or bags to avoid getting them contaminated.

I saw an answer to this in Yankee magazine a couple of years ago. It said to put the item outside and let the sun shine on it until the odor was gone. Some logistics to allow for weather are in order here.

I have a mothbally cedar chest too. I've never felt inclined to haul it down the stairs so I plan ahead and air out or wash anything that comes from it.

Let us know what works.

What about Odo-ban? Coffee grounds in a nylon stocking?

Barbara

The thing with the mothball smell it vilatile iols ( camphor oil) that are in the wood and they have to evaporate out or be wiped out. Heat ( as in sunshine) will help and so will just plain ole time.
I suspect that applying some heat to it....like putting a trouble light in the drawer for a day or so would help also.
You can't really mask that smell with coffee grounds or anything else that is intended to mask it....you have to remove the oils from the chest.
Linda C

We have had some pretty stinky furniture around here that we rescued from under years of filth in a shed. What we ended up doing-- and it WORKED!-- was to set the furniture out in the driveway in the sun for a couple of days. I opened up all the doors and drawers. I live in the midwest so it wasn't even warm out... I think it was just the fresh air and the sunlight that did it.

I don't know if this would work with cedar but it sure would be worth a try...

Looks like I will be bribing someone to haul everything downstairs come spring!!! Unfortunately we already have 8" of snow so it will have to wait. Thankfully it nothing smells to badly with the drawers shut.

He he, and since DH wants to keep them so badly, I will fill it anyway with all his 'work' and 'play' clothes that he never wears anyway!

I am one who subscribes to the sunshine and fresh air theory ;) In the interim, I've linked to a product below that I really like. You can get it at Lowe's, for sure, and other stores (paint stores) but Lowe's is least expensive in my area. I bought a vintage (but pristine) Drexel bedroom suite and the drawers smelled of perfume (it was obnoxious). Before I ever used it I put several of these odor absorbers inside the drawers and kept them shut tight for a good month. (We got the set in winter). Come summer there was no need to air it out, after a month the smell was completely gone and dresser/armoire/night table smelled fresh and a bit citrus like, instead of old stale perfume ;)

There's Citrus Magic, but I much prefer Natural Magic.

Also, my local Ace has begun selling some very pricey odor absorbing gels ($17) I heard good things about but can't attest to and can't remember the name. Maybe your local Ace would have it? (Mine has it on a display with a video playing, so it's very prominent).

Exactly the problem I'm facing with an antique cedar blanket chest inherited from my parents. The mothball / camphor smell is intense. The beauty of the chest on the outside is fabulous.

I've tried:

1. Bagged absorpion materials ordered off the internet
2. Sanding the inner wood with an electric sander
3. Airing the chest, fully openned outside for six months.

...all with zero effect.

I am considering applying a marine sealant and spar varnish finish on the inside cedar wood to "trap" the odors. Does anyone have any ideas about doing this? Will it work? Will it make the problem worse?

Any thoughts?

Charley, I have done that very thing a few times on old dresser drawers and it definitely trapped musty or other strong smells. I just used cans of water based spray-on polyurethane and it worked great. I would think marine varnish would have a very strong unlikable smell on it's own. Sad to not have the the beautiful cedar aroma but I think you can get small cedar balls to store in your chest after the smell is gone. Just a thought

Charley if the 'bagged absorption materials' you used were the volcano rock type (I think Gonzo makes them, HDepot sell them), I didn't have as much luck with those in my perfumey drawers. I'd encourage you to try the Natural Magic method I mentioned above (put at least two of them inside the chest). You'd only be out about $10 and another month or so of your time. I've never had to seal the inside of anything (and really would be bummed if I had to seal a cedar chest, the unfinished wood & aroma is so much of the appeal), so can't vouch for how that works.

I know my answer is often "to refinish" the piece, but we have never had a smell stay with the piece once it's been refinished. We're talking about smells worse than mothballs. Odors from fire damage,smoke damage, musty yukky ukky smells.
Never has a customer complained that the smell was still there after we refinished the piece.
just my 2cents. :)

I just bought a used Drexel chest and brought it home. Within a few minutes the smell in the bedroom was awful. Made the mistake of opening the chest to try to air it out. It was incredible. Inside was a piece of paper saying that chest had a lifetime warranty against moths..I was getting dizzy so gave it to a friend immediately to put in her backyard in the sun for a while, but I think reading this that she may need to sand it down to ever be able to use it. HORRIBLE!! Thanks for all the ideas..

There are several possible odors.

MOTHBALLS - naphthalene or chlorobenzene - this will respond best to heat or granular ACTIVATED charcoal. Not just any charcoal. If weather permits put it outside in the sun first or in a hot attic for a few days. Get the charcoal sold for aquariums and put it inside in a flat dish or pie pan.

MUSTY/MOLDY - Can be hard to distinguish from mothballs. Wipe the inside with diluted bleach (10%) to kill mold spores. Wipe with a rag wetted with clean water. Sun helps kill spores and the heat and fresh air helps clear out the smell. A hot attic again.

CEDAR OILS - if the item is cedar you're kind of stuck with this.

Thank you for posting this. I bet there are many of us that have our mother's cedar chest in our home.