How to Get a Smell Out of New Drawers

New furniture often retains smells from materials used in the manufacturing process such as glue, lacquer and paint. Typically, drawers in cabinets, dressers, nightstands, desks and other furniture retain these smells long after you take the furniture from the box and set it up in your home or office because drawers remain enclosed. The key to getting a smell out of new furniture drawers is to air out the drawers, find ways to absorb the smell, and use scented materials to improve the odor of the drawers.

Air purifier (optional)
Cloths
Bowls
Baking soda
Odor-absorbing material such as charcoal, charcoal filters or kitty litter
Nylon stockings
Scented material such as coffee grounds or cedar chips
Herbs or fragrances such as tea tree oil, vanilla or cloves

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the drawers from the new furniture. Set the drawers and the main body of the piece of furniture outside to air out for four or more hours. If you can't set the furniture outside, remove the drawers, then open the windows to the room and turn on an exhaust fan or air purifier; wait the same amount of time.
- 2
  If you took the furniture outside, bring everything inside. Wipe the inside and outside of each drawer with a slightly damp cloth. Wait a few minutes for the drawers to dry, then return the drawers to the furniture.
- 3
  Fill bowls--one bowl for each drawer--with odor-absorbing materials such as baking soda, charcoal/cut pieces of a charcoal filter, or kitty litter.
- 4
  Place the bowls in the drawers, close the drawers, then wait 24 to 48 hours; if possible, wait an entire week to allow the material to absorb as much of the smell as it can.
- 5
  Open the drawers and remove the bowls.
- 6
  Close the drawers and wait eight hours. Reopen the drawers and check to see if the smell remains. If the smell remains, repeat the odor-absorbing steps one to two more times until the smell has lessened.
- 7
  Make a scented sachet or container to place inside the furniture. For example, fill a nylon stocking with plain or flavored coffee grounds, or cedar chips; mix a favorite oil or herb such as tea tree oil, vanilla or cloves with baking soda in a bowl.
- 8
  Place sachet or container in a drawer.

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