Antiques! How to clean

[chaoticzenmom]

I bought an antique buffet and table today and they have an "old" smell. What do you use to clean that smell off, short of painting them! The insides of the buffet are stinky, but it's soo pretty that I must have it in my dining room...It had to come home with me.

Anyone know how to rid antiques of thier smell?

Lisa

[momto l&a]

I wash with a gentle soap and water.

I then oil with lemon oil.

It takes awhile for antiques to air out IMO.

I also put a cotton ball in each enclosed space that doused with lemon EO or whatever EO you like.

[Meiri]

I wonder if Antiques Roadshow has any advice or links to advice on their website (probably through PBS.org). All I know is that every time someone has done drastic cleaning or refinishing (and so often, they sound so proud when they announce that they refinished it...) on some wonderful piece of antique furniture, they've cut the value to about 10% of what it would have been had they left it alone--done only minimal cleaning.

I'm thinking a light cleaning and the lemon oil on a cotton ball wouldn't be in that league though.