I have old metal cabinets in my kitchen and know matter what they have a musty,moldy smell coming from them.?

Question

I rent and I can't replace them. I have tried everything from taking everything out and wiping them down with bleach water, from put a small pan of baking soda in there and nothing helps. I'm a clean freak and I can't seem to clean this problem. What do I do???

Answer 1

First you have to find the source of the moisture because that is what is feeding the mold/mildew spores and keeps them growing, thus emitting smells. Place some DampRid containers inside the cupboards that smell particularly bad. The moisture crystals absorb water from the air, drywall and even the wood framing behind the cupboard. Check them every few days to see whether water has accumulated in the bottom. This will tell you where the moisture is coming from. Then determine whether you have a slow leaking pipe in the the walls (feel whether the drywall is soft or look for drips around the pipe connections under the sink) and contact your landlord. As a property owner, I would want to know whether I had a leaking pipe or other water problem, as it can do a lot of damage.

Then, for your purposes, once the water source is determined and repaired, work on the odor. DampRid also sells a spray bottle of mold/mildew remover and protector. Spray down the surfaces inside the cupboards. I like this product because it is fume free, non-toxic and not only kills the active spores but keeps the area protected from future growth.

You can get both products on the cleaning aisle at the Lowes home improvement stores.

Answer 2

Charcoal - I have the perfect product that I've used for years and know dozens of other people that use it. It is a product called FRIDGE IT odor absorbers. It is a little purple cube with an incredible activated carbon filter inside that is really, really, great. It works so much better than baking soda and all those sprays and fragrances that just cover up smells and doesn't get rid of them. Also, alot of sprays have warning statements about being eye irritant. WIth Fridge-IT, The carbon literally absorbs and eliminates the odors and works for a long time. Just place a couple of these in the cabinets. I use this product everywhere including car, storage, closets, my fridge and also under sinks, near trash and have friends that use it on cat litter box, car for smoke and also diaper pails - it's that good. I really recommend it. You can buy it in kitchen gadget sections in stores like walmart and linens and things. I also think camping world sells it. Definitely worth trying.

Answer 3

Are you sure it is coming from the metal cabinets, after bleach water. Mold comes from moisture and metal is a nonabsorbent material. Two suggestions; 1. Look under, in back of etc the kitchen sink. If the bathroom is on the same wall, the bathroom plumbing could be bad, dripping and smell like it is coming from the cabinets.Moisture could be in between the walls. 2. After you make sure all plumbing is dry and working properly, maybe repaint the cabinets using a good metal primer.
If there is no rust, rustoleum, clean metal primer is good. Good luck.

Answer 4

This might sound a little strange. But get dried lemon rind from your local supermarket, grind that, and try laying that in your cabinets to see if that helps the smell. Some months ago I was given a recipe for home-made carpet freshenner that uses that as a main ingredient, and it seems to work well.

Answer 5

Get a lemon scented cleaner. Lemons seem to have this ability to take odors and banish them.

Surprising that it would be the cabinets them self if in fact they are metal. The metal itself should not absorb odor.

Answer 6

I would try and use vinegar, it helps me when there is a smell i can't seem to get rid of. Good luck to you.