I have recently inherited my grandparents buffet. It was with my cousin for a long time and they smoked in the house for years and this piece of furniture has just held onto that smell. I am not sure how to get that smell out, it is on the inside of the drawers and cabinets and everything. I have tried to clean it with my regular cleaner but it have not helped at all. Any ideas?
For the insides of the drawers and cabinets, wad up newspaper and leave it in there for a day or two. Newspaper soaks up odors very well. I'm not sure what to tell you about the outside. Good luck!
It is very hard to get out. We had a fire in our house when I was a kid and the smoke smell was incredibly hard to get out. Try washing it with murpy's oil soap a few times and if you can, let it sit outside for a while so it can air out.
I'm working on a small end table with a heavy smoke smell too. These tips should help:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/11311236....
lots more ideas here:
http://itsgreattobehome.net/tag/getting-smoke-smell-out-o...
Try whipping it down with a white vinegar and water solution. I believe it's a 1 to 3 mix. The vinegar will will smell but it will go away within a day or two, taking the unpleasant odors with it.
Activated charcoal works faster than newspaper but is much more expensive. Just fill shallow dishes with the stuff and put in drawers and cabinets. Either way will take a long time, you may want to store it in your garage until the smell disappates
