I have done a number of older pieces left in garages, damp basements, etc. Invariably I can almost guarantee rodents will take up space in these cabinets, thus feces and of course urin, not to mention mildew etc. I use a mix of 2 parts water, 1 part white vinager and 1 tablespoon of backing soda, place in a spray bottle and mist away, might take a couple of applications. And of course it will raise the grain inside the drawers and case. So if you intend to keep the original patena of the piece be aware. Happy woodworking

Thanks for the info. Sealing the affected area with shellac will usually do the trick as well and if all else fails and patina is an issue a tent with a ozone generator works and is what is most commonly used in restoring fire damaged furniture.

Thank you for the tip, I would think sparying the inside of dressers might miss a few areas, and not sure but an ozone generator may be out of my pocket range ;o)

Whoops let me make one HUGE correction, Always use distilled water NOT tap water! Tap water can do some nasty things to your beautiful wood that you have worked so hard on.

I'm puzzled by using acetic acid (vinegar) with baking soda. Won't they counteract each other?

Paul
the puzzled little guy