I bought a machinist’s chest used and cheap (structurally similar to this one https://gerstnerusa.com/shop/2008-vintage-chest/ but the outer box is covered with metal). It is not fancy, but I do have a potential use for it if I can get it cleaned up. The drawers have a lot of grime, which is coming off with Murphy’s Oil Soap. It also has a musty smell, even after scrubbing. Washing has definitely decreased the strength of this smell, but it is still there if you put your nose close to the wood.
I have tried washing it with diluted vinegar (about 1 to 1) after the scrubbing, but it doesn’t seem to budge the smell much. I don’t know what is causing the smell, except perhaps years of being put away in some dark corner or something. If there is any mold or mildew, I can’t see it.
Since these small drawers are wood, I can’t soak them or keep them wet very long.
I wonder if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing, or any suggestions?
I haven’t even tackled the case yet, I’m still working on the wood drawers. If they absorbed mold odor from the case, and it had a long time to take hold, is there a way to remove the smell?
To answer your question, I am still considering whether and how to do remove the metal from the case for cleaning. The metal appears to cover the outside and fold over all the edges, so maybe I can take it off without deforming it too much. I have also considered just building a new case, but I’m not that great of a cabinetmaker to be sure that I can succeed.
Maybe try a diluted bleach solution, or, if you’re up for it, sand it, clean it with bleach and refinish it.
Also, if it’s possible, pull out all the drawers and put everything out in the sun for a few hours, flip as necessary.
Well you made me go and smell mine. No musky smell, but then I don’t have any metal covers on mine. Perhaps they were in a flooded area like a basement at some point and were wet for a long time. Then the musky-ness would be down in the joints as well.
From what I was told these chest were commonly build by kids in school as part of there graduation requirement. There should be a way to remove the metal without doing too much damage if you are careful. There may even be plans online somewhere for a Machinist Chest.
Yes, all the drawers come out, I’ve been working on them individually. They all had metal bottoms (zinc?) which I have removed and will replace with wood. I think bleach, and sitting in the sun, sound like great ideas. If the odor is also coming from the joints, then I’m not sure if there will be a good outcome. The joints are pretty fragile and I think any attempt to separate them are more likely to break something than to separate the joints.
As for the case, I forgot about those corner pieces, which are apparently riveted in? But only into the metal, so maybe that will keep the metal outside from falling apart. There’s also the locking front piece, which is clad in metal all around.
I would be impressed if this were done by a kid, although if they were graduating high school with a specialty in shop then I can just about see it. Any idea what era that would make this chest from?
It reminds me of how Japanese carpenters have to build their own tool box as their first project as an apprentice, and they are expected to use it for the rest of their career, so that the imperfections will keep them humble.
Anyway, I’m impressed if it’s that old, it has stood up pretty well, all things considered.
I made a metal one in 8th grade metal shop. Mine sucked and I got a C, but there were guys who got an A and theirs were pretty good. I bought one and still have it.
I would try putting the chest in a large plastic trash bag or large plastic tub with lid if you have one large enough to contain the chest. Partially open the drawers. Set an open bowl of vinegar beside the chest in the bag/tub and put the lid on (or tie the bag shut). Let it sit for a few days with the vinegar fumes. Check periodically to make sure there’s not too much moisture in there for the chest. (You could seal the tub with a plastic bag if you don’t have a lid. Or you could put the bag inside a tub.)
I don’t know the mechanism behind this, but I got a large wooden chest from my grandma, and I deodorised it by leaving outside in the sun after a heavy cleaning for like a month (painstakingly moving it in or covering it every time it rained). Seemed to help!
The problem you have is active mildew, the symptom is the smell.
My vote would be with @joeyp, mould and mildew are types of fungus and are best / easiest killed by using a bleach solution. I’d start with maybe a solution of 5% household bleach mixed with water in a spray/misting bottle and spray all the surfaces concentrating spray into the joints and let the mixture run in to them. Leave it on for a few minutes and then wipe it off.
If that doesn’t work or only partially works, up the level of bleach to water ratio. The biggest risk you have is the bleach will damage the chest’s wood finish. Better to start with a lower ratio and work up.
Although posters suggestions like odour neutralizer’s etc. may work to get rid of the smell, that’s just treating the symptoms not addressing the underlying the problem Unless you get rid of the mildew itself the smell will just come back as soon as the mildew starts to grow again. You have to kill the mildew for the smell will go away.
Keeping it out in the hot sun [on a low humidity day] will help it, because the heat will dry out any moisture which kills the fungus., but the risk is that if any of fungus stays active, and gets exposed to moisture [like stored in a damp basement area] over time it will just start to grow again and cause smell to reappear.
I have rags that have been heavily, repeatedly bleached that still smell like mildew (which is why they’re now rags). But you’re right that unless you kill all the mildew, you won’t have a chance of getting rid of the odor.
How does bleach compare with vinegar for killing mildew? I have understood that fungus can’t live in an acidic environment, like you would get with applying vinegar, and it seems like vinegar would be potentially less destructive even in stronger doses (even pure vinegar).
I use bleach in the shower for the most stubborn areas, but there isn’t anything in the shower that bleach can hurt.
I am encouraged. I brushed undiluted white vinegar all over four of the drawers, after I had scrubbed the grime off, making sure to get into all the corners and joints as much as I could. Since the sides and backs of the drawers were apparently not finished, the wood seemed to absorb the vinegar. Then I put them outside in the sun where they baked for the rest of the day, and then I brought them in. Now that they have cooled, I can’t seem to detect any smell at all. I will check again in the morning, and if all is well, I will treat the other four drawers the same way.
That’s a good question, I wondered that as I read the post on vinegar. Full strength cooking vinegar is only about 5% acetic acid, so it’s pretty mild but may do something and it certainly won’t hurt.
In my experience and everything I’ve read says to use bleach [base products] to kill mildew. For example: I’ve never read anything that suggests to spray vinegar in the shower? Does that work?
Bleach is effective, but it has some drawbacks. It is corrosive, and it can rust the metal parts of your chest. Also, it will change the color of the wood, and maybe not in a uniform fashion.
When I was a janitor, we called bleach “the chainsaw in your toolbox.” There are several other disinfectants you can use that won’t do that kind of harm. For example, Lysol Clean & Fresh Multi-surface Cleaner, mixed at 2 ounces to a gallon of water, will kill mold, germs, and viruses. It smells like lemons. I buy it at Lowe’s.
“Bleach only kills surface mold, not the membrane underneath,” according to ServiceMaster. “That means the mold will grow back. In fact, recognizing the bleach as a ‘threat,’ the mold will grow back even stronger.” When bleach is used on porous surfaces like drywall or wood, mold membranes will move deeper into the surface to avoid the chemical."
On the other hand, other sources say it’s OK to use bleach, if you let it soak in and dry. However, I don’t find anyone who says not to use vinegar.
I looked it up, it doesn’t claim to kill mold, only “Bacteria; Dust; Germs; Grease; Grime; Oil-Based Soil; Organic Matter; Smoke Film; Soap Scum; Water-Based Soil.” I don’t think a disinfectant will kill mold. I have a bathroom product that claims to be a fungicide, as well as a disinfectant and virucide. However the fine print reveals only two molds and one mildew are affected by it, none of them likely to be the one causing these smells. So I guess I’ll stick with vinegar, it seems uncontroversial and effective.
