How do you get rid of the musty smell from an old storage chest?

Question

My hubby had this storage chest that he used when he went away to college over 15 years ago. It's been in the attic, garage, basement for all these years with an old tent in it. (have no idea why the tent was in it) I wanted to use it for blankets. When I opened it smelled musty. It's cedar lined but that didn't stop the odor. How can I get rid of the musty smell?

Answer 1

air it out in the sun and maybe put a box of arm and hammer baking soda in it to absorb odors. If you can - wipe it out with a dillluted mixture of bleach and water to remove any mildew and let dry

Answer 2

Mustiness is from bacteria/mold and may be ingrained deep in the wood. Open up the chest and leave it open for a few months. If you want to kill the molds, you could take some bleach and use a spritz bottle all over the inside of the chest (dilute the bleach with water, maybe a few tablespoons of bleach + water in the spritzer). Spritz the entire chest, then respritz and let the bleach soak in. After using the bleach, let the chest dry out in the sun for a few days. Wait a week and sniff to see if the odor is gone (a slight bleach odor might remain). Any musty odor means spritz with more bleach solution. Keep repeating until the mustiness is gone. Then let the chest totally dry out.

Buy some cedar oil and lightly brush the inside of the chest with the oil to restore the cedar odor.

An alternative: if the chest's cedar panels are easily removed, take those out and replace them with new. It could be they can be easily replaced. Just depends on the way the chest was built.

Next time you store the chest, make certain it is in a dry place, not a damp area.

(I've dealt with a couple musty chests this way).

Answer 3

Old Storage Chest

Answer 4

You can check a local Marine/Boat dealership if you have one in the area. They have the anti-mositure bags or containers that are similar to dessicant pellets (I think I spelled that correctly). They keep moisture out and draw in any that may be in the trunk.
Another trick is mothballs. Although you end up replacing the musty smell with the odor of the mothballs.

Answer 5

Try lightly sanding the cedar and vacuum out dust, put a bowl with charcoal like you use in the grill, and close and let set for a few days, the charcoal will absorb the smell.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Try some Damp-Rid, for a couple of days, then put it out in the sun with the lid open, direct sun light can do some wonderful things to oders.

Answer 8

Get some moth balls, baking soda and cedar chips--close it and let it do it's magic. Go back after about a week to see if it smells any better.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

We love that ol' musty smell....its full of memories....keep it as it is & buy another new storage chest....