I'd suggest lightly sanding the inside of the drawers.

Clean well with something like Murphy's Oil soap and then let it set outside for a few days. (protected from the elements of course)

Ionizer.

Paint it or put a wood finish on it, including the insides except the surfaces along which or against which the drawers slide. Do either after sanding with a very fine sandpaper.

Depending on what kind of weather you're having, you may not want to have it sit outside for long, if at all.

Surprisingly, the best thing I have found to use is vodka. As cheap a bottle you can find, really, but it did take a sickly, floral smell out of my linen closet.

Try hydrogen peroxide. 88 cents at Walmart for a large bottle. I read somewhere that it's good for mold and musty smells on wood. DH recently had foot surgery and was bleeding all over while I was out of the house....walked all over my oriental runners in the hallway. The nurse said to use hydrogen peroxide to get it up and it did, very easily. Since I had this large bottle sitting on the counter and couldn't get some red wine stains out of a pair of slacks, I thought why not. I poured it on the wine stains and then used Oxyclean. Figured what do I have to lose, the pants are already ruined....stains came right out. It's my new miracle cleaner! For 88 cents, it's worth a try. Just put in a spray bottle and spray it inside.

Borax is my new favorite default product for everything.

I'm clueless....what is a 'nursing home smell'?

I've used a vinegar solution successfully on similar things like a moldy smell. Adding essential oils to the solution helps even more. If it has drawers, remove them and if you have a couple of nice, sunny days, put the nightstand and drawers out in the sun.

Moni, this nice little chest of drawers might be a diamond in the dust. What kind of wood is it? How about a picture? Refinishing could be your best option.

Good luck. I acquired an antique dresser from my great-great-grandmother's things and, even after 40 years of having it, it still smells like her house.

I would describe "nursing home smell" as urine and unwashed-human-body aroma.

Might it be the sanitizer, deodorizer they use? I've read tips that say to use coffee grounds, crumpled newspaper, or even unscented clay kitty litter to eliminate odors in case type furniture, luggage, etc..

& there's always Febreze & similar products, like the ones they sell for pet accidents/odors. You generally have to saturate the item w/ the product & allow it to air dry - sometimes more than once.

I've gotten the musty smell out of pillows by saturating them with white vinegar -- using a spray bottle. When they dry...no more odor.

I had an antique chest of drawers with a little mirror on top that had a funky smell in the drawers. I cleaned it with everything including vinegar and water. Finally I gave it away.

didn't Martha stewart use kitty litter and newspaper?

The ionizer will work. I used to get paid to remove odors from rooms and car interiors. Put that dresser in a room alone with an ionizer, close the door and come back in the morning and it will be odorless.

Room shocker also works, but not as well as an ionizer.

didn't Martha steward use newspaper and kitty litter?

I think putting charcoal in things is supposed to suck up the smells...

I tried the 1:2 vinegar/water spray followed by baking soda for my carpet. I don't know if I would try it for wood - the liquid and/or the chemical reaction might ruin it. It fizzed a bit when I sprinkled the baking soda, and it made a paste in some places, so I had to rough it up to vacuum it out. But I thought I'd mention it since people were mentioning baking soda and vinegar separately. It did seem to get the musty smell out after I shampooed the carpet twice before I resorted to the vinegar and baking soda. (The carpet had been stored in the crawl space which is why it was musty.)

I had a little bit of pet fresh carpet powder left which I tried on a newer rug that developed a smell when rolled up for a couple of months. I think it worked. It wasn't wet, and after I vacuumed it up, it wasn't too perfumey. The baking soda wasn't enough by itself.

I have sent stinky rugs to a carpet cleaning company to spend time in their ozone room, and that worked great. However I have read ozone can damage some materials - I don't know about wood. You could call a carpet company and see if they have an ozone room and ask them about wood. Also google reviews on the process before you send it to an ozone room.

Line the drawers with newspaper. Shake coffee grounds on the paper and shut the drawers.

Thanks everyone! For now I washed it inside and out with a mix of water and peroxide. It is sitting outside, with the drawers removed (which I of course also washed inside and out).

Tomorrow I am driving back to OKC (from Owasso) and will see, how it smells after being in the car for a while... YUCK was the smell getting here from Tulsa. I will have to store it in the barn with all my other stuff till closing on the house.

I sure hope, the smell will be gone. It smelled just awful... and if it wasn't the fact that I know it would look nice with the chair I still own... I would have dumped it already.

Moni

PS, I might try spraying it with Vodka next.... ;)

Why not just drink the Vodka when you know you will be "visiting" the chest

LOL, cmarlin the chest is mine now. I gave away and sold almost all my furniture in May, when I left for the now abandoned adventure in Florida. I am back in Oklahoma, and about to be the proud owner of another "new to me" house. Needing furniture I got this chest of drawers... but now... with the smell... I am not sure if it is worth the trouble.

I would set it outside in the sun. Take the drawers out and lay them out, then lie the chest on its back. A few hours in the sun will most likely get rid of the smell. I do this with sour pet blankets/beds that aren't dirty but for some reason become sour smelling. After a few hours sitting on the driveway, they smell like they just came out of the wash.

Yes, definitely put out in sun. Try the hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle. Do not dilute.

Moni can use all of those things on wooden furniture?

Don't give up on it yet, Moni!

I think that Brushworks and others has the right idea.....an ionizer or a Room Shocker.

You might want one or the other, anyway, moving into a new to you home.

All joking aside, Moni.....do try the Vodka. The alcohol evaporates and is supposed to take the odor with it. My linen closet in my new house (2004) had that sickly sweet smell of some "old floral" scent, and after years of it driving me to distraction, wiping it out with a vodka soaked cloth, did the trick. Of course with your small cabinet being moveable....sun and fresh air could help too, as well as all of the other suggestions. Best of luck!

Funny thread. I inherited my grandparents' burlwood Art Deco dressers about 20 years ago. Any clothing that sits in the drawers for months on end inevitably ends up smelling like my grandparents' house. The dressers are so gorgeous, and the smell so nostalgic, it never occurred to me to try to deodorize them. I keep an orange blossom/patchouli scented soap in my lingerie drawer as a sachet; I suppose one of my kids will eventually have that smell to deal with, too (unless they opt to sell the dressers).

Moni, just want to say that I love your never say never attitude. Are we going to see a picture of this piece of furniture?

Rhizo, I dropped it off at Mel's barn yesterday. Once I get in the house, and my stuff moved, I will post a picture! unless I forget... in that case, please remind me. ;)

Don't know when you will be getting in the house and your stuff moved, but I'm posting this reminder just in case. We all are waiting to see this chest!

Oh, moved! Smell is gone! Pictures are here:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/tahlequahgardens/library/67th%20street%20house