My wood stinks

[dieseldogpi]

I got a Golden Tee Fore (2003) empty cabinet from some dude, and it smells like moldy wood.  There isn't any noticable water damage or anything.  Is there anything I can do to get rid of the stench short of stripping and sealing and painting?  It smells up the whole room.  Thanks.

[Kevin Mullins]

Clorox Cleanup or something similar.
Leave the cab out in the sun for a day or so.

Mold = Moisture

Clorox kills the mold
Sun dries it out

Rinse, Lather, Repeat

[dieseldogpi]

Thanks, now I just need some sun in NY and I'll be all set.

[garnerb350]

+ 1 on Clorox...

Do you have a garage or outside building?...if so, you could drag the cab there and use the Clorox and let it air out for bout a week...frebreeze could work also...but if that cab is MDF, you need to be careful with it soaking up liquid.... vinegar and water works also...

dieseldogpi beat me to the punch....

this is a crazy idea...but what about baking soda...I know it works for fridges.....( space constraints...just wondering if you live in an apartment or if you have a yard or something....)

[thecheat]

You could spray it with some 50/50 bleach and water, that might help. Don't waste money on the Cleanup, since all you need is the chlorine. If it's totally empty, just give it a good spraying inside and out and then let it dry outside.

You might want to use a respirator, the fumes can be pretty strong.

[bkenobi]

Mold needs moisture to grow.  Humidity can be sufficient at the right temperature (think mildew in a bathroom).  You have to get rid of all the spores or the next humid day you could get more mold.  If it's an aggressive mold, it could actually spread to the house/apartment.  Houses have been condemned from black mold (I think that's what they call it) cause it's impossible to get rid of without stripping to the studs and spraying bleach water on everything.  Be careful!

[dieseldogpi]

I do have a garage (actually half a garage) so its kind of tight, but I can drag it outside to spray the inside.  It is totally empty so I'll just spray it down and let it dry.  I don't really see any visible mold.  It is currently in the garage, it stinks the whole area, and if I ever have hopes of my wife letting me put this bad boy in the living room, I gotta get rid of the stench.  I'll (maybe) try this weekend.  Thanks again for all the help.

[bkenobi]

It could be cat/dog piss too.  If that gets in MDF you could be screwed!   

[Minwah]

Clorox kills the mold
Sun dries it out

Sun on it's own is pretty good for killing mold too, fwiw. Probably best if the mold is in direct sunlight tho.

[Ginsu Victim]

My wood stinks

Drink less soda.

[TOK]

Since its stripped, after you do the cleaning, prime the inside with Kilz. That will seal any remaining stank in.

[ivwshane]

My wood stinks

Drink less soda.

I'd recommend soap and after drying thoroughly use some baby powder:p

[thecheat]

If you do decide to spray w/ bleach, buy one of those garden sprayers that you pressurize (if you don't have one already) and make sure the nozzle can do a nice fine mist. That will really save your hand from having to pull the trigger a thousand times.

I'd say spray w/ bleach, wait a day or two, then prime as much as you can with at least one coat of the Kilz, then see where you stand.

[RayB]

A thorough cleaning could be all it needs.
So start with that...

[jasonbar]

I recently had a leak in my upstairs tub & did some research on mold before digging into my ceiling drywall in the office underneath.

Household bleach is no longer recommended for killing mold.  A large % of household bleach is water.  After the bleach kills surface mold, the water acts as yummy food to any mold under the surface & feeds it.     It's OK to use bleach on hard surfaces like countertops, but don't use bleach on porous materials like wood, which may have mold under the surface.

Use a thick paste mix of Borax & water to attack mold on drywall, wood, etc.


Do a search & some reading before continuing, & do be careful.


Thanks,
-Jason

[Malenko]

Since its stripped, after you do the cleaning, prime the inside with Kilz. That will seal any remaining stank in.

I had to do that on both stinky NeoGeo cabs I had.

[extendedplayarcade]

Since its stripped, after you do the cleaning, prime the inside with Kilz. That will seal any remaining stank in.

Exactly what i was going to say.

[HaRuMaN]

lol...  when I saw the thread title I thought of that episode of Home Improvement where Al is blindfolded and identifying types of wood by smell...

Tim tries to fool Al by putting his funk sock on the end of the wood...  "It smells like it has some kind of fungus..."