Furniture Design

A visitor asks about how to get rid of furniture odor.

Cheryl says:

I have a very big problem: My recently purchased Sauder Oregon Oak Wardrobe Storage Cabinet (SAU-763-230) that I bought back in the fall and my husband put together STILL has a very bad odor and it has transferred to ALL of my clothing and even permeates throughout the upstairs where it is stored in our bedroom.

The Sauder Oregon Oak Wardrobe Storage Cabinet (SAU-763-230).

I have been having severe allergic reactions to whatever smell it gives off (I have throat closings and lung disease already and this exacerbates it or brings it all on). We have tried to keep all the doors and drawers open with windows open in the fall to air it out before putting clothing in. We thought that MIGHT help. It did not.

We put little bars of soap in each drawer and shelving area and it helped a little, for a little while, then the horrific original smell of the closet returned. It’s been almost half a year!!! now and it is no better. I had to take ALL of my clothing out and have it cleaned/rewash it all, let it remain open and aired out for many weeks, only to put the clothes back in, recleaned, and have the smell affect them, and me, and others around me, all over again.

Please help me remedy this major problem. We desperately need this closet (it is very nice otherwise) but I also desperately need to continue to BREATHE! It is SO big a piece of furniture that we had to carry piece by piece upstairs for it would not fit to put it together downstairs and carry up. Even given that, it still smelled after having been aired out while putting it together for those few days. We thought it would dissipate soon after we got it installed, but, alas, it did not.

Guests cannot even stay in the room for the smell is so great. PLEASE tell me what we can do to rectify this dilemma. The furniture is way too big for our small guest bedroom to move it out; once we move from this home (if we ever do), the closet will have to remain, and we do not want others to have to succumb to this same smell.

We have NEVER had a piece of furniture EVER do this to us. We cannot understand.

Is there a product we can use to eliminate the odor without putting another strong odor back into it and ruining our clothes and room, upstairs? I cannot handle Lysol sprays and such. I tried baking soda, boxes of it on each shelf and in each drawer, but that did not help, either. Whatever the “wood” was treated with might be the culprit. And if so, we need to know WHAT that is and HOW to rid of that toxin. And toxic it is indeed. Please respond ASAP. We would appreciate your help immediately.

Any suggestions?