How to Get Rid of the Smell in My New Cabinets

New cabinets often have a chemical-like smell, which comes from the chemicals used to make the cabinets. The cabinets and drawers remain closed, which does not allow the odours to escape efficiently. The chemical odours can become a nuisance and even cause the items stored inside the cabinets to smell. Remove the cabinet odour with items you have around the house so you do not have to deal with the smell every day.

Remove all the items from the cabinets. Store the items in a safe location.

Remove the drawers and cabinet doors if possible. Place these items outside in the sun to allow the chemical fumes and odours to escape.

Vacuum the drawers and cabinets with a hand-held vacuum. This will remove any loose debris from the cabinets that may be the culprit of the odour.

Wash the interior and exterior of the cabinets with an antibacterial soap and warm water. This will clean the cabinets and ensure that the odour is not the result of mould or mildew.

Dry the cabinets thoroughly with towels. Remove all excess moisture to prevent mould or mildew from growing.

Crumble sheets of newspaper. Stuff the newspapers into the drawers and cabinets. Close the doors, and allow the newspapers to absorb the odours overnight.

Place an open box of baking soda or activated charcoal inside cabinets, if the odour remains. You can safely replace the items back into the cabinets if you desire. The baking soda and activated charcoal can take up to a week to remove the odour.

Leave the drawers and doors open to air out the cabinets. Once the smell begins to disappear, you can close the cabinets.

Open the windows to allow the smell to escape. Open the bottom and top of windows to create an airflow, if possible.

Turn on the air conditioner or place a fan in the window to pull the air out of the room.