The specific smell of new furniture: the reasons for its appearance and inexpensive ways to deal with the nuisance

Content:

1. Why does new furniture smell
2. How to get rid of unpleasant odor: simple methods and affordable means
   1. Specialized products
   2. Folk remedies
   3. Other methods
3. Tips for processing furniture made of leather and other materials

Buying beautiful new furniture is a joy for any family. However, a joyful event is often overshadowed by such a nuisance as the appearance of a specific smell in the apartment. This applies not only to cabinets and sofas in the economy segment, but also to luxury furniture sets. In most cases, there is no cause for concern: the pungent odor disappears in a couple of days. But sometimes he lingers in rooms for a long time, irritating household members and worsening their well-being. To solve this problem, you can use affordable and time-tested methods.

Why does new furniture smell

Before you start fighting the smell that permeates the entire apartment and does not want to evaporate, it is worth finding out why it occurs. The peculiar smell emanating from new furniture is caused by the peculiarities of its production. 

An unpleasant odor may intensify if the seller did not follow storage rules (for example, the furniture was stored in a warehouse with high humidity). The most “smelly” are usually the back walls of cabinets, joints and other areas of furniture that are not covered with finishing.

You shouldn’t wait long for furnishings to stop “fragrant.” Harmful fumes can cause headaches and breathing problems, but they pose a particular danger to allergy sufferers. Therefore, if the unpleasant odor has not left the apartment within 4-5 days, it’s time to take action. 

How to get rid of unpleasant odor: simple methods and affordable means

The first thing to do after purchasing and installing a furniture set is to thoroughly ventilate the apartment (a draft would be ideal). In many cases, the smell becomes less intense after the first airing, and after two or three procedures it disappears completely. If your efforts are unsuccessful, you can resort to the following methods.

Specialized products

To achieve quick and effective results in the fight against odor, it is worth taking advantage of the achievements of the chemical industry. Household special products quickly remove odors from wooden, plastic and other surfaces, as well as foreign odors absorbed into the upholstery.

When sprays and other preparations are applied to upholstered or cabinet furniture, the liquid turns into a thin film that blocks the spread of odor throughout the room. In addition, using such a liquid you can remove microparticles of dust, small fragments of paint, varnish and glue. 

Most of the special products presented on store shelves have a disinfectant effect. However, you need to know that some of them can worsen the condition of allergy sufferers. Therefore, they must be used with caution - before treating the headset, you should test the product on a small surface.

Folk remedies

People who avoid using household chemicals can trust traditional methods - sometimes they turn out to be quite effective. Here are a few proven products that can cope with a pungent odor:

• Charcoal is an excellent sorbent that quickly gets rid of any odors. As a more affordable alternative, you can use activated carbon.
• Coffee. Coffee grounds are placed in a container without a lid and placed inside a table or cabinet for a day or two, which emits an unpleasant odor.
• Vinegar solution and water peroxide. These products, which are found in every home, are poured into small saucers and left in the room for 3-4 days, periodically changing the contents.
• Ammonia is a radical odor remover. To remove the smell, you need to dilute a teaspoon of ammonia in a liter of water, moisten a rag, wring it out well and wipe the surfaces. After three or four procedures, the smell will disappear.

Even fragrant bar soap can help in the fight against odor. A few pieces placed in cabinets or in the lower compartments of upholstered furniture will spread a pleasant aroma throughout the room.

Other methods

You can remove foreign odors that have settled in the house along with new furniture using the following methods:

• Use of an ozonizer. This useful device, responsible for fresh air in the apartment, effectively fights dampness, dust and harmful microorganisms. If you use it regularly, the foreign smell will disappear along with the dust particles.
• Blocking odor sources. Unscrupulous manufacturers do not bother themselves with high-quality processing of the ends - this is especially true for storage furniture. Gluing the ends with a special edge from a building materials store will help eliminate the smell. Even small holes in the cabinet can emit an odor: furniture stickers that match the shade can successfully cope with this problem.
• Creating suitable humidity and temperature conditions. In dry and hot rooms, the release of formaldehyde from furniture occurs with increased intensity. Therefore, there is no need to place new sofas, tables and cabinets too close to the radiators. To make the chemical smell disappear faster, you should keep the window open and use a humidifier. Optimal humidity is especially important for products made of natural wood: its value should not be lower than 40%.

Tips for processing furniture made of leather and other materials

Leather is considered a win-win upholstery material that does not cause any problems. However, immediately after purchase, it also emits a specific smell. Leather odor does not pose any health hazard. But to restore freshness to the room, you can use one of the following means:

1. Sea salt and loose leaf black tea. The surface of the furniture should be covered with cotton cloth. Salt is sprinkled onto the cloth in a thin layer, and tea leaves are laid on top. The procedure for removing the smell takes from 12 to 15 hours, while the window must be open. If it is not possible to completely get rid of the skin odor, the treatment can be repeated.
2. Special oil-based cleaners for leather upholstery. High-quality household chemicals not only make the skin softer, but also give it a pleasant smell. To achieve the best effect, you should add a few drops of essential oil (rosemary, lavender, patchouli) to the cleanser - it will eliminate extraneous odors.

   

3. Ground coffee. This simple remedy will quickly deal with such a problem as the pungent smell of new leather furniture.
4. Sachet bags with dry herbs (lemon balm, mint, thyme). Bags with fragrant plants placed inside the furniture are a win-win option if the smell comes not from the upholstery, but from the wooden frame.

Inexpensive furniture made from chipboard is especially insidious. If the cuts of such furniture are processed in violation of the technological process, folk remedies will not help cope with the smell. You will have to cover the cuts with silicone-based sealant or furniture edge tape. These products will prevent formaldehyde (a substance with a strong pungent odor) from polluting the air and causing discomfort to owners.

So don’t be afraid of the smell that settled in the house along with your long-awaited purchase - if you wish, you can remove it quite quickly. It is enough to thoroughly vacuum and ventilate the apartment, turn on the ozonizer or humidifier, if necessary, treat the surfaces with a specialized product or remember the traditional methods of combating odors. And, of course, in the process of purchasing furniture, it is worth checking for a certificate for the product - a high-quality furniture set from a reputable manufacturer will not cause unnecessary worries to the owners.