Wood furniture is awesome. It’s warm, timeless, and usually built to last. But sometimes, it comes with an unwanted bonus - a lingering smell.

That musty, funky, old-house scent? Yeah, not so great.

And then there’s smoke, mildew, pet odors, or weird chemical smells from cleaning products.

Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you need to toss the whole piece. Getting smells out of wood is totally doable, and you don’t need anything fancy or expensive. You just need a little patience, some easy steps, and things you probably already have at home.

In this post, we’ll show you how to get smells out of wood furniture.

#1 Find Where The Smell Is Coming From

First things first, figure out where that smell is coming from.

Sounds obvious, but it matters.

Smells can get trapped in all kinds of places: inside drawers, underneath the furniture, or even deep in the wood grain. If you inherited an old dresser or picked something up at a thrift store, chances are the inside smells worse than the outside.

Open every drawer. Sniff around.

Sometimes the smell is strongest on the surface, like a finish or polish that’s gone funky. Other times it’s from years of use, storage, or just time doing its thing.

Once you have a good idea where the odor is strongest, you’ll know where to focus your efforts.

Also Read: How To Get Sour Smell Out Of Clothes

#2 Clean The Surface First

Before jumping into the baking soda or vinegar, give the whole piece a solid cleaning. No point trying to deodorize something that’s still dirty.

Use a gentle wood cleaner or make a DIY version with a bit of dish soap and warm water.

Dampen a soft cloth (don’t soak it), and wipe everything down - top, sides, legs, inside drawers, behind handles. Get into all those nooks and crannies.

If there are any sticky spots or greasy areas, those can actually trap smells. Give them a little extra attention.

Dry it off with a clean cloth and let it air out for a bit.

Sometimes, just this step alone makes a big difference.

#3 Use Baking Soda

If that didn’t get the smell out of wood furniture, you can try some baking soda.

This stuff is a natural deodorizer, which means it doesn’t just cover up smells, it absorbs them. You’ve probably used it in the fridge. Same idea here.

Here’s how to use it on wood furniture:

Sprinkle baking soda directly into drawers or onto shelves (a light dusting will do).
For upholstered wood furniture (like dining chairs), sprinkle it onto the fabric too.
Let it sit for at least 24 hours or longer if the smell is super strong.
Then vacuum or wipe it up.

If you don’t want to put it directly on the wood, you can pour it into small bowls or breathable sachets and leave them inside drawers or cabinets.

Also Read: What NOT To Use On Quartz Countertops?

Still works, just a little slower.

#4 Try Activated Charcoal Or Coffee Grounds

If baking soda doesn’t fully cut it, time to level up.

Activated charcoal is another excellent odor-absorber. You can find it at pet stores, aquarium sections, or online.

Same deal: place small bowls of it inside the furniture and let it sit for a few days. Just don’t dump it directly on the wood as it’s messy.

Coffee grounds also work surprisingly well. Not only do they absorb odors, but they leave behind a pretty pleasant scent too.

Use dry, used grounds (so they’re not wet and moldy). Place them in bowls or paper filters inside drawers or cabinets. Leave them in there for a couple of days.

Quick tip: don’t mix baking soda, coffee, and charcoal all at once. Use one method at a time so you can see what actually helps.

#5 Use Vinegar

Vinegar smells strong at first (no denying that), but it’s amazing at neutralizing odors. It works kind of like baking soda but in liquid form.

Don’t pour vinegar straight on your furniture, that’s a bad time. Instead:

Mix equal parts white vinegar and water.
Dampen a cloth (not soak - important!) and gently wipe down the wood.
For drawers or cabinets, you can also leave small bowls of vinegar inside for a few hours to absorb smells.

Let everything dry completely. And yes, the vinegar smell will go away once it airs out.

And it will definitely get smells out of wood furniture.

Also Read: Can You Mix Pine-Sol And Vinegar?

#6 Essential Oils

Okay, now that things are smelling a bit fresher, you can add a nice scent to the mix. This is more of a bonus step and not for deodorizing, but for giving your furniture a little aromatic boost.

Essential oils like lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, or tea tree smell great and have some natural antibacterial properties too.

Just a drop or two on a cotton ball or small piece of cloth, placed inside drawers or cabinets, can go a long way.

If you’re feeling fancy, you can even make your own furniture spray by mixing a few drops with water and a splash of rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Shake it up, spray lightly, and wipe down.

Don’t go overboard here as essential oils are concentrated, and a little goes a long way.

#7 Let Fresh Air And Sunlight Do Their Work

Never underestimate the power of a good breeze and some sunlight.

Wood is porous, which means it can absorb moisture and odors. The sun helps dry it out, and fresh air helps carry the smell away. Super simple.

Take the furniture outside on a dry, sunny day.

If it’s too big to move, open all the windows in the room and let some air flow through. Pull out the drawers, take off any cushions, and let everything breathe.

A few hours in the sun can make a huge difference.

Just be careful not to leave wood furniture in direct sunlight for too long, especially if it has a dark finish since UV rays can fade it.

If you can do this step multiple times over a few days, even better.

#8 Seal The Wood (If Odor Persists)

Tried everything and the smell is still hanging on for dear life?

You might have to seal it in.

This is kind of a last resort, but it works. If the odor is coming from deep inside the wood and nothing else touches it, sealing it with a primer or clear finish can trap the smell for good.

You’ll want something like a shellac-based primer (Zinsser B-I-N is a popular one).

It blocks odors and stains and can be painted over later.

This does mean sanding and refinishing, so it’s a bit of a project. But if you really love the piece and want to save it, it’s worth the effort.

Just make sure the furniture is totally dry and clean before sealing it up. You don’t want to trap moisture in there as that’ll just cause other problems down the line.

Bottom Line

Smelly wood furniture isn’t doomed. It just needs a little love, a bit of patience, and maybe some sunshine.

Start simple: clean it up, give it a good surface wash, and let it dry out. Then move on to the natural deodorizers like baking soda, activated charcoal, vinegar, or coffee grounds.

These basic cleaners can do a lot of heavy lifting, especially if the odor is recent or not super deep in the wood.

At the end of the day, getting smells out of wood furniture isn’t rocket science. It’s just about figuring out what you're dealing with and being a little patient.

A few simple steps, done right, can completely change how that old piece feels in your home.

How To Get Smells Out Of Wood Furniture (Guide)