How to remove mildew smell from wood cabinets? (floor, Home Depot, paint)

[mtneer]

Had a large water leak under kitchen sink which I didn't discover for several days. Now the wood cabinets, which are unfinished underneath sink, have a mildew or mold smell that is getting overpowering. What can I do? I sprayed it with Lysol hoping it will kill anything growing under there, but didn't really do any good.

I saw an ad a month ago for some kind of spray that is suppose to fight mold problems, but I don't know what its called or in what situations its to be used in. I just saw a quick ad a couple times for it when I was on wunderground.com and now its not on there. What can I do?

[Momma_bear]

A solution of bleach/water should kill mildew. You don't need fancy sprays.

[mtneer]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

A solution of bleach/water should kill mildew. You don't need fancy sprays.

Won't that cause even more damage to the wood if I put even more water down on it? The side panel to the cabinet next to the sink now is warped and has visible water damage so seems like water is a no-no on wood.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by mtneer

Won't that cause even more damage to the wood if I put even more water down on it? The side panel to the cabinet next to the sink now is warped and has visible water damage so seems like water is a no-no on wood.

I wouldn't leave the water to sit on the wood.

[misplaced1]

Problem is wood is porous. If you spray it with anything, is it really getting into the wood and killing the mildew? Probably not. It's likely just on the surface. At this point the wood needs removed so bleach water and a good fan isn't going to hurt much and it might take the smell out better than the lysol.

[Jukesgrrl]

I'd spray the empty cabinet with a fine mist of straight (not diluted) bleach, let it soak in for awhile, then point a fan in there. After it was completely dry I'd clean the cabinet with orange oil on a sponge to dissipate the residual bleach smell. If you continue to smell mildew after the cabinet is dry, you might have mildew on the floorboards under the cabinet, which is likely if the leak was dripping slowly long before you discovered it.

[peggymary]

I had a leak in my cabinet, the odor was awful. I painted the inside of the cabinet & floor with Kilz, thought that did it but it didn't. Still smells - any other ideas

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl

I'd spray the empty cabinet with a fine mist of straight (not diluted) bleach

What she said.

[hmrd]

The very best thing I've ever found to get rid of household odors is a spray called Odoban. I used on the inside of the drawers and cabinet of an older wooden chest of drawers. It worked great. I sometimes see it at Walmart and can always find it at Home Depot.

If the cabinet is still wet, you can try spraying it on now as well as now and then as you are drying it with a fan - I agree with Jukesgrrl that you should point a fan into the cabinet until it is completely dry.

Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl

...you might have mildew on the floorboards under the cabinet, which is likely if the leak was dripping slowly long before you discovered it.

I also agree that that you may have mildew under the cabinet. The Odoban may cover that smell, at least for a while, but you may eventually have to have those replaced, although I hope not.

I hope this helps.

[MissJo]

Use one cup of borax per gallon of water. Use a sponge or spray bottle. You don't need to rinse off, it will prevent more mold beginning to grow again. Bleach cannot completely kill mold/ stop it from growing. The chlorine in bleach will not penetrate a porous surface like wood. The chlorine stays on the surface and only the water in bleach (yes bleach has water in it) will absorb giving more moisture for the mold to grow on.