The photo shows an old sofa after restoration. Its smell is clean and fresh. Smells like sea grass and cotton fabric. A subtle aroma of polish emanates from it, and the clean wood shimmers in the rays of sunlight. A poem, and that's all. It’s better not to remember what it smelled like before restoration. Probably kitties lived in it. Everything is in the past, and now there is a sofa and two armchairs after complete restoration. The old wood was cleaned, everything rotten and foul-smelling was thrown away. The whole set invites you to sit down in its clean bosom and enjoy the luxurious comfort of expensive furniture.
Restorers, like doctors, are divided into therapists and surgeons. A restorative therapist will persistently use all kinds of drugs. Advertised impregnations, spray to get rid of aromas, fragrant bags with herbs, empty bottles of expensive perfumes, and so on. The smell in the closet or chest of drawers will recede for a while, but then it will come back with the same force. The restorative surgeon will mercilessly cut off the affected area. The shelf in the nightstand smelling of medicine, the mothball floor of the dresser, the rotten stuffing of the sofa. It will remove radically, but carefully. Then it will be restored as it was. Not foam rubber or MDF, but authentic consumables. The scents of the past will disappear forever, but the item will retain its antique value.
What does the furniture smell like?
The most common source of unpleasant odors from old furniture are microorganisms that have settled in the wood fibers. Mold fungi are saprophytes. Putrefactive bacteria. In second place are medicinal tinctures. Valerian, corvalol, camphor. The least harmless smells are vanilla and mothballs. Removed by weathering.
A specific smell is present in museums and libraries. Sometimes it comes from theater seats, and is found in Moscow apartments with antique furniture. This is the smell coming from the stuffing of upholstered furniture. New things made of chipboard and plywood infect the atmosphere with a heavy smell. Their source is phenolic resins. Genuine leather smells of tannins and paint. Fresh pine wood smells like resin, and furniture after restoration smells like furniture varnish. These are all natural smells. Over time they disappear. There is no need to specifically fight them. Another thing is the smell of decay and old dirt.
Causes
The reasons for the unpleasant odor emitted by the sofa are due to:
- contact with urine or excrement;
- spilled beer;
- tobacco smoke;
- mold;
- burning settling;
- high humidity in the room.
It should be noted that each piece of furniture emits a certain smell, the nature of which changes over time. Often the appearance of an unpleasant “aroma” is explained by the aging of the sofa.
Children's "surprises"
Children in the first year of life do not control the excretion of urine and feces. Also, a newborn often spits up milk or formula. Each of the above compositions leaves behind an unpleasant odor that eats into the furniture. Old urine is especially difficult to remove.
Animals "surprises"
Animals, due to their nature or due to certain diseases, go to the “toilet” on household furniture. As in the previous case, traces of urine and feces remain on the sofa, emitting an unpleasant “aroma”.
Beer
Odors from beer usually dissipate within 24 hours. But if you frequently spill this foamy drink, the sofa will constantly begin to emit an unpleasant “aroma.”
Tobacco smoke
Tobacco smoke contains substances that are absorbed into various objects, including upholstered furniture. Therefore, after just a few days of active smoking, a characteristic smell appears in the house.
Mold
The appearance of mold on pieces of furniture is possible if the sofa is kept in conditions of high humidity for a long time.
Burn
During a fire, substances are released that leave a characteristic burning smell, which will require a set of measures to eliminate: in addition to treating the room with appropriate means, you will need to ventilate the rooms for several days.
Dampness and mustiness
Smells of dampness and mustiness are characteristic of unventilated rooms. You can eliminate such “odors” by placing the furniture outside for several days.
How to get rid of the unpleasant smell of old furniture?
The first step is to find the source. In upholstered furniture this is padding, in cabinet furniture it is loose wood for the internal lining. Expensive furniture of the 19th century was stuffed with sea grass and horsehair boiled in lye. Neither the iodized sea grass nor the pickled hair harbored bacteria, fungi, or insects. The situation is worse with inexpensive sofas and armchairs. They were stuffed with bast, straw, sponge, sawdust, and sisal. These are “land” plants. Their fibers contain cell sap that serves as food for bacteria. Bacteria and mold fungi are extremely tenacious. It is useless to freeze, dry and pickle. If the organism dies, the odorous product of its vital activity remains forever. The only way is to replace the filler with an authentic one.
In cabinet furniture, cabinets, chests of drawers, bedside tables, first aid kits, the smell settles in the wood itself. Wiping the walls of the closet with vinegar, placing scented candles, or moisturizing with odor eliminators is practically useless. The aromas of valerian and naphthalene lived in the wood fibers and will remain so. You can open the doors, pull out the drawers and leave the item to air for a couple of years. The smell may go away, or it may not.
Additional Tips
In order not to worry about how to remove smell from a closet, you should remember a few recommendations:
- We must not forget about wet cleaning of furniture: you need to regularly wipe it with a weak vinegar solution.
- If there are clean clothes on the shelf, it is not advisable to put other things on it.
- For prevention, you should use folk remedies: put scented soap or sachets inside, and for wiping, during cleaning, dilute water with three drops of essential oil.
How to remove smell from an old closet?
Let's start with the fact that it is better not to have it there than to get rid of it later. Worn cotton, linen and wool, after a year of storage, will reward the closet with an unpleasant musty aroma. If you ventilate everything periodically and take your fur coats for a walk in the cold, neither the smell nor insects will appear inside the closet.
What if the smell is already there? Airing didn't help. Then the cabinet is brought to the workshop. The restorer clears the internal surfaces down to pure wood, removing the thinnest layer of wood, in which, in fact, the aroma resides. Then it is covered with a fresh, environmentally friendly coating. Water-based or acrylic varnish. It must be said that the optical properties of these coatings are poor, and their strength leaves much to be desired. But they don't smell.
Removing the smell from an old wall is even more difficult. They are made of chipboard or MDF, and this material is porous. The cost of eliminating odor from a modern wall will be the same as the cost of restoring an antique cabinet. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy a new wall than to seek help from a specialized workshop.
Useful tips
Often, an unpleasant odor on shelves comes from laundry that is not properly cared for. Experienced housewives recommend paying attention to:
Selection of detergents and conditioners. The variety of aromas has a negative impact on the air in a small enclosed space. It is necessary to give preference to a weakly expressed aroma or household chemicals without it.- Wash and rinse mode. Poor cleaning or detergent residue on the fabric is harmful to human skin, respiratory tract and air on wardrobe shelves.
- Drying things. Residual moisture on laundry can cause mold and heavy air to form in the place where it is stored. Drying should take place outside or in a well-ventilated area, away from sources of strong odors.
- Clothes storage. Do not overload the closet with unnecessary things; store clean and worn leather goods (shoes, bags, belts) on one shelf in the compartments for bed and underwear.
- Cleaning. Ventilation, inspection and cleaning of shelves should become a habit.
You will find a lot of useful and important information about removing various unpleasant odors from objects and surfaces in this section.
How to get rid of the smell of old age in furniture?
The aroma of antiquity and the smell of decay are two different things. The first is preserved, but the second is fought.
To begin with, throw out everything that has spoiled from the closet, cupboard, chest of drawers. What a shame to throw it away, wash it, dry it. If antique embroidery or linen cannot be washed, and it is a pity to throw it away, you can put it in the microwave for 2 minutes on the “defrost” mode. Then ventilate well. The microwave will kill all living things, and ventilation will complete the disposal process. Vacuum the walls, shelves and drawers and wash with a neutral detergent. Leave them empty and open for another week.
Another type of smells are aromas that evoke negative emotions in us associated with long-past events or meetings. Objectively, there is nothing wrong with the “Silver Lily of the Valley” perfume or the “Sasha” cologne. But these smells can be associated with negative childhood memories. An angry neighbor could smell like “Red Moscow,” or a nasty janitor could smell like “Chypre” cologne. Hence the association.
One of our clients hates rococo furniture. As a child, she was given an antique set of this style. Don't swing on chairs, don't jump on the sofa, don't trace marquetry patterns on the tabletop with a ballpoint pen. In short, life in antique furniture for a child turned into torture. So she threw away the family heirloom at the first opportunity.
Out-of-fashion perfumes, spoiled cosmetics, expired lipstick or powder cause a feeling of mustiness and dirt. Throw it away immediately before the smell ingrains itself into the walls or shelves. Frankincense, myrrh, and all kinds of church incense also have a strong association with elderly, not always peaceful parishioners, and, therefore, with something not very modern. The smell of old age in furniture can also settle in a fashionable wall if you put old, poorly washed items in it.
Preparatory measures for removing unpleasant odors
Before you start fighting old, musty or simply unpleasant odors, you need to do a thorough cleaning of your home.
It is recommended to start with things - in an apartment filled with all sorts of rubbish, air circulation is difficult. In such a room, the formation of a musty smell is inevitable; it will return again and again.
All things that have not been used for a long time or will not be used are thrown away or given to those in need. The remaining clothes, curtains and curtains are sent to the wash. After this, you need to dry your clothes in the fresh air, for example, on the balcony or outside at the entrance.
Next, it's time to start cleaning the windows. The walls should not be ignored; the wallpaper should be wiped with a well-wrung out, soft cloth. This must be done, since not only does a large amount of dust settle on the surface, but also unpleasant odors are absorbed.
When all of the above preparatory activities have been completed, you need to start cleaning the floors. To do this, you additionally need to use disinfectants with the aroma of pine and orange.
How to remove odor from upholstered furniture?
A bad smell from a sofa can be caused not only by the natural decomposition of natural materials, but also by household pollution and natural emissions of the apartment’s inhabitants. How to remove odor from upholstered antique furniture is written above. Replace the filler with a good, comfortable one. Moreover, replace the whole thing, not partially. Good things don't come cheap. Therefore, before looking for a cheaper workshop, ask what will replace the filling of a foul-smelling mattress. Fresh sea grass or foam rubber?
A relatively inexpensive way to eliminate the bad smell of a sofa is to order a ready-made mattress of the required size from a company that specializes in the manufacture of mattresses for beds. Next, cover the finished mattress with beautiful upholstery fabric and install it in an antique sofa. This is probably not entirely correct advice for a venerable restorer, but if the sofa smells bad, and the family cannot allocate a lot of money for museum restoration, then it’s better than going to the trash heap.
Wood with a pleasant smell
Antique chests, chest of drawers, and the interior lining of expensive wardrobes were made from linden and were not varnished. Linden exudes a pleasant honey aroma, which it transmits to things stored in the chest.
Indian chests are fragrant with the secretions of the essential oils of the camphor tree. Vibes of freshness come from chests made of cypress, thuja, and larch. When cut, rosewood smells like roses. And its closest relatives - rosewood, macassar and zebrawood, on the contrary, exude the scent of a tropical swamp.
IMPORTANT. If the seller is too persistent in showing you the aromas of his “fragrant goods”, be careful. This may be traces of incense, perfume, artificial flavoring. Namely camphor oil, rose oil or banal turpentine.
Each tree has its own smell. For some it is pleasant, but for others they do not like it at all. The only thing they have in common is that under a layer of varnish the aroma is firmly sealed inside the part.
Professional products
They are sold completely ready for use. You can use the following:
- An ozonizer is a relatively expensive, but highly effective and high-quality device. It will remove all foreign odors from the apartment as quickly as possible. The operating principle of the device is quite simple and is based on the generation of ozone from the air that the ozonizer absorbs around itself. If amber has a strong composition of various chemical components, then the ozonator will not be able to resist such a task. But he can overcome the natural aroma of new furniture. The device will purify the air in a short period of time. Within two or three hours there will be no trace left of the smell;
- liquid is a cheap alternative to an expensive ozonizer. You can use it if finances do not allow you to purchase a high-quality device. It will do a good job of removing odors from chipboard furniture. The product is diluted according to the instructions indicated on the package and, using a soft sponge, applied to the entire wooden surface, including joints and open ends. The liquid creates a protective shell that prevents the smell from escaping. You will have to discard the liquid if someone in the household suffers from allergies or asthmatic attacks. Also, the liquid product is not suitable for furniture with fabric or leather upholstery. It is best used on wood, chipboard and plastic.
How to get rid of the unpleasant smell of old furniture?
A radical method of struggle is physical removal of the source. Eliminating odor is a by-product of a full restoration. Restorers use strong solvents, which naturally reduces the pest population. Next, the wood is sanded. Microorganisms are also removed along with wood dust. Then the surface is varnished. The varnish penetrates the capillaries of the wood, clogs them, and forms a protective layer. The smell disappears without a trace.
It is more difficult with first aid kits and bedside tables in which medications were stored. The source of the smell is persistent essential oils of natural origin, such as valerian. Medicinal drugs such as Corvalol, Valocordin and so on. Getting rid of them is more difficult than microorganisms. Acrid odors permeate the wood deeply. Solvents and sanding are powerless here. It is necessary to remove a thicker layer of odorous wood, impregnated with medicines, and only then varnish. If this does not help, you can either put up with the smell of medicine or change the inner lining of the drawers, as well as shelves, doors, and walls.
Aromatic hydrocarbons, especially naphthalene or kerosene, are easier to remove. You can leave the chest or closet open for a couple of months. The odors will disappear on their own.
Prevention
It is easier to prevent the appearance of mold odor than to get rid of it later. For this:
- Store clean clothes separately from those you wear.
- Place only dry clothes in the closet.
- Do not dry clothes indoors (at least not in the kitchen).
- Do not place the wardrobe close to the wall, especially if the wall is problematic (has traces of mold).
- Ventilate the closet regularly, emptying it of everything that is inside.
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Eliminating the smell of upholstered furniture
Expensive upholstered antique furniture has fillings in the form of sea grass, horsehair and cotton wool. Neither sea grass, nor horsehair, nor cotton wool ever harbors foul-smelling mold fungi. Unfortunately, at the end of the 19th century, in order to save money, bast was often placed in upholstered furniture instead of expensive imported sea grass.
Bast or bast is the fibrous subbark of a tree trunk. In Russian folk crafts, bast was used as a material for weaving. In a living tree, bast is the conductive tissue of the trunk, it is saturated with nutrients and cell sap, and most importantly, its cells are not lignified and provide a favorable breeding ground for the proliferation of bacteria and molds. Thus, an armchair or sofa stuffed with bast is a favorite dish of saprophytes. An old chair will emit an unpleasant odor until the seat and back padding is completely replaced.
Rose oil, orange oil, clove oil, lavender oil and eucalyptus oil have long been used to scent stored clothing and repel moths. Antique ladies' dressing tables smell especially pleasant. No one can fight such smells.
Wood is a porous material. It's like it's breathing. In a box that is not finished with varnish or paint, partial air exchange constantly occurs. That's why the back wall of the cabinet and the drawers were never varnished. The internal cavities of the chests were not varnished either.
Photo 2 sofa before restoration. Photo 3 is the same sofa and two armchairs after replacing the filling and new upholstery.
Photo 4 living room chair before restoration. Photo 5 restoration of the chair frame. Photo 6 chair in the process of restoring the seat. Photo 7. Living room chair after restoration.
I hope the information was useful. If you have any questions, write, call, send photos. I always answer all letters.
Sincerely, Elena Zhilina.
Restoration of paintwork
| Finishing | RUB/sq. meter |
| Waxing | 500 |
| Polishing | 1500 |
| Shellac | 2000 |
| Gilding | 3000 |
Restoration of decorative coating
| Finishing | RUB/sq. dm |
| Patination | 50 |
| painting | 200 |
| Marquetry | 500 |
| Mosaic | 1000 |
Feedback form
By sending us a completed form with photographs, as well as asking a question, you will receive complete information about the item (what it is, material, age) and the cost of restoration work. Next, the restorer will come to the site, inspect it, and determine the final price of the restoration.
The final price will not change. Departure is free.
News from Elena Zhilina's Workshop
11/15/21 A story about the profession of a modern restorer was filmed in our workshop; the program will be shown on November 24 at 18.24 on the Moscow 24
10/23/21 The workshop participates in the 47th Antique Salon
, which will take place from November 23 to 28 in Gostinny Dvor
05/17/21 In the workshop on May 31, 2022. There will be an open day
. We invite specialists and lovers of antique furniture restoration. The program includes a discussion of the problem of modern furniture restoration and exchange of experience
11/15/20 Our workshop has moved to a new address, st. Rabochaya 84 building 1, Tagansky district, near the Rimskaya metro station
Causes of "aroma"
The smells that come from newly purchased furniture are not always unpleasant. Some people like to inhale amber-like scents. But this does not mean that they are completely safe. The most common material used in furniture production is chipboard (chipboard). It contains large quantities of formaldehyde and phenols that are unfavorable for people. These toxic substances have the ability to accumulate in the human body, causing poisoning. Chips with exposed chips and resin, as well as open furniture ends are the main sources of odors and fumes.
In addition to the material from which cabinets and sofas are made, paint and varnish coatings emit a dangerous aroma. They release the same toxic substances into the air, which reduces the amount of oxygen and makes it difficult for households to breathe.
Used in the production of upholstered furniture, as well as other items of the furniture industry - laminate, parquet boards, materials that form the basis of the cladding of products, also poison the air in the apartment. In addition to the unpleasant odor, such chemistry causes allergic reactions, headaches, asthma attacks and other side effects of the body.
To minimize the risk of releasing toxic substances, it is better to choose trusted manufacturers who are responsible for the quality of their products and give preference to natural materials. The price for such furniture will be much higher, but as you know, you shouldn’t skimp on health.
If, nevertheless, the purchased set or corner for the living room smells too much, then you can try to remove the smell of new furniture using specialized or improvised means.
