Sometimes, things just STINK!!

Did you recently pick up something at a flea market or antique store, put it in place in your home and then notice that your entire house (or at least the area around the new item) has taken on a serious FUNK?  Don't let this deter you from shopping at these retail venues.  Stink happens.  Chances are this great thing you have found may have been in a barn, or a basement, or a stinky old warehouse in it's previous life.  Smells are unpleasant, but not uncommon.   There are solutions.  Here are a few tricks to having it smelling so fresh and so clean like a summer breeze in no time:

First: Bring it out in the SUNSHINE!  The best place to clean up a piece that has been in a barn or a basement is in out in the fresh air, breeze and sunshine - like on your driveway.  Open it up and let it air out in the sunshine for a bit.

Next: CLEAN it.  Vacuum all the nooks and crannies to remove cobwebs, gunk and critters - yikes, I hate bugs.  Then, use a mixture of your favorite cleaning solution diluted in water.  I don't think vinegar/water is good here - your just asking for more stink - go with something lemon scented!  Give it a good wipe down with a rag dampened (not soaked) in your solution.  Then wipe it down again  - this time with a dry rag to clear away any residue and dry it completely.  Leave it in the sun to let it dry to the bone.

Then,  give the inside, underside, and backside a good spritz of unscented Lysol - the original.  I would not recommend spaying Lysol directly on the finish of a beautiful antique heirloom piece with a beautiful finish, but I would not hesitate to spray the inside or backside of trunk, inside a drawer, a dresser, or armoire.  At least you will know that you killed any mold.

I'd say now it is safe to bring it indoors, but chances are the odor may still linger.  Here is what to do:  The best products for odor elimination along with Lysol, are Arm & Hammer, and Kingsford (yes, charcoal).

Odor Eliminators!  To get rid of the dank, damp, musty smell of an old piece can be tough, but if you are sneaky, the odor will disappear.  An Arm & Hammer Fridge and Freezer (no-spill) box can easily be hidden behind or inside a piece with a funny smell.  The no spill box has mesh on the sides of the box so the odors get sucked right into the baking soda.  This is a chemical free and very safe way to eliminate unpleasant stinks.

Also, you can be sneaky with charcoal briquettes.  Place 5 or 6 briquettes in an old colander or disposable container with holes poked in it.  Hide it inside or, if the piece is tall, on top of it out of sight.  Charcoal naturally absorbs odors like a champ.  FYI: no lighter fluid necessary!  Do not light this charcoal!  

When all else fails, get a Plug-In and put it in the wall outlet behind your funky new piece. 

These tricks work!