You might try wiping the insides with vinegar on a cloth. If cleaning and lightly sanding the inside do not help, your last resort is to seal in the odor by using an oil-based primer on the interior. Then paint the inside with latex paint.
Lightly sand the wood inside the chest with a fine-grade sandpaper, which will release a fresh cedar smell. Then vacuum up the wood residue, and wipe with a microfiber cloth to get rid of dust.
To bring back the cedar aroma, vacuum closet walls. Lightly sand the walls with medium sandpaper to open new cedar pores and to allow the cedar oils to start to evaporate again. Never, never finish a cedar closet with varnish, urethane or any sealer. This coating will block the cedar scent.
Wipe down the chest with a Scotch-Brite pad and mineral spirits and let dry. Once dry, sand with a 220-grit sanding pad, going over the surface quickly. Use a tack cloth to remove any dust left over from sanding. Paint on a medium coat of gel stain with a foam brush.
Try Deodorizers to Absorb the Odor
Deodorizers like bicarbonate, charcoal and coffee beans are another relatively easy way to try to rid furniture pieces of their odors. Unlike room sprays, deodorizers don't mask a scent; instead, they absorb it.
Household staples, like coffee grounds, vinegar, and charcoal, can absorb musty odors from wood furniture. Place the odor-absorbing substance in a bowl and let it sit inside the closed furniture drawers. After a few days, check for odors. Replenish with new coffee grounds or vinegar, as needed.
#3 - Buy a Murphy Oil Soap Wood Cleaner bottle. This stuff is the bomb and works wonders for actually cleaning wood and removing bad smells. And it's so easy to use just pour some on a clean cloth and wipe the piece down really well.
In contrast, genuine cedarwood can be sanded slightly to reveal fresher layers underneath, so its fragrance lasts indefinitely. Cedar trees only grow in the North, South, and Central Americas, where the high altitudes and cool, dry climates allow it to thrive.
“Oh, he said, that's simple, if you want to restore the sharp smell of cedar, just give it a light sanding, a 220 grit should be fine”.
Uncoated, weathered cedar can often be restored to its original color by applying commercial products called cleaners, brighteners or restorers. Although intended primarily for restoring horizontal wood surfaces, they generally work almost as well on vertical surfaces.
Cedarwood oil--used in cosmetics, perfumes, home odorants, and as an insect control agent--is usually extracted from sawdust and wood chips by steam distillation.
Wipe down the interior with furniture polish and a rag. If you have mold or mildew stains, wipe down the interior with white vinegar.
Refresh the cedar smell by polished cedar wood with sandpaper to expose fresh fibers. These fresh fibers have that all-important oil that makes cedar so powerful or spray cedar oil for the same freshening effect.
Where Does the Cedarwood Scent Come From? The essential oil of cedarwood is extracted from all parts of the evergreen tree, including it's needles, leaves, bark, and berries.
Cedar offers a great and pleasant-smelling way to discourage insects from feasting on your clothing, but it must be kept fresh if it is to be of any use. Fortunately, cedar that has lost its scent can be restored by simply sanding the exposed wood surfaces lightly.
Over time, aromatic cedar loses its aroma, but it can be restored by sanding away the top layer of the wood. Depending on the original strength of the scent in the wood (which varies), this may have to be done every three to seven years to refresh the wood's insect-repelling aroma.
Occupational exposure to cedar and pine woods and pine resin (colophony) can cause asthma and chronic lung disease.
So we took the question to the experts who manufacture cedar chests, and here is what they had to say: It's OK to put photos in the chest as long as they are stored in an archival box with acid-free paper. Don't let the photos touch the wood itself, as it's acidic and could ruin the photos.
Sodium bicarbonate
Baking soda is known for its ability to absorb odors. Place several small containers of baking soda inside the closet and leave them there for a few days. The baking soda will help neutralize the wood odor. Remember to change the baking soda every few weeks to maintain its effectiveness.
For Water Based Finishes
Cleaners such as Pledge and Murphy's Oil Soap are not recommended because they leave a dull residue on the finish. Water based surfaces may be cleaned with a damp cloth or General Finishes Orange Oil.