Mothball Smell

Wipe down the inside with a vinager rag. Let dry and then throw some newspaper in there. They will soak up the smell.
Luckily, it's a cedar chest. If nothing else, use sand paper to take off the first layer of the inside! It should smell like fresh cedar again!

Blessings!

http://woodworking.about.com/od/dealingwithproblems/qt/Re...

I've seen skunk oders removed by using a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, but I don't know what that will do to the wood. If you mixed it in a sprayer, sprayed it on and then left it open to evaporate, it might help the smell a bit.

good luck,

c.

Placing a bowl of charcoal briquettes in the chest for a while "MAY" help. I have used this on things like smells in refridgerators at it seems to work well to absorb oders. Not sure if it will work in the chest or not but sure can't hurt it. Good luck.

Try a light sanding to release the oils in the cedar lining. Remember to sand with the grain only and very lightly.

Typically, you wouldn't need mothballs in a cedar chest...so maybe it wasn't an actual cedar chest just wood..if not cedar, try a bowl of baking soda to see if that will absorb some of the mothy smell...Then you may have to seal the wood.

Once you get the smell out, you have to get some of the cedar chips to put in a corner.

Have you tried cedar blocks? you can buy them pretty much everywhere in the closet/storage section of Target or Wal-mart. Also you might try cinnamon sticks or sachet bags of potpouri. Hope this helps:)

A. M

Try putting baking soda or a few dryer sheets in it.