How to Deodorize Wood Furniture (and How We Organized Our Linen Armoire)

For the laundry room, I purchased this vintage linen cabinet from Chairish, which smelled a bit old and musty. I hoped to put my fresh sheets and bedding in there, but I couldn't in good conscious store them there while it smelled so dirty. So I rolled up my sleeves and got to work! Lucky for me, my mom happened to be in town, and she's the real expert at this kind of stuff! Here's how to deodorize wood furniture, plus how we organized this gorgeous vintage armoire!

Wallpaper | Brass Ceiling Light | Calacatta Tile | Gray Tile | Bathroom Sources

1. Vacuum and Dust

The first step was to get out any dust and debris. We used a handheld stick vacuum and then wiped it out with a microfiber cloth!

2. Deodorize with Charcoal Bags

Then for about a week, I put all 12 of these activated charcoal bags in to purify and absorb the odor. I just kept the doors shut, and that helped a lot!

3. Clean with Murphy's Oil Soap

Next, we mixed up murphy's oil soap with some hot water and wiped it down, inside and out. This is what cleaned off all the grime and dirt, but be sure not to get the rag too wet, so it doesn't damage the wood.

4. Line with Scented Drawer Liners

Lastly, we cut out these scented drawer liner to keep things smelling fresh. These are non-adhesive and I think at some point I'd love to line these with a more permanent wallpaper or something. For now these are perfect!

All of this took less than an hour! I like buying furniture secondhand because of the one-of-a-kind-ness and added charm, but I know that if it doesn't feel or smell clean, it can be a detterant to use! Nothing a little elbow grease can't solve. Do you have any tips to deodorize wood furniture??

Organizing the Armoire

The fun part is loading this armoire with all of our bedding and blankets. There's going to be cabinets in the laundry room but I really wanted to have this armoire for added storage – beautiful and functional!

In the shelves I have blankets and sheet sets organized by bed size. I like keeping all of the king sets together, queen sets together, and twin together. The drawers below will be for additional pillow cases, shams, and throw blankets!

Although we're still waiting on countertop install in here and more (check out the project punch list), it's so nice to be able to semi-use this space!