I have removed the smelly paper from the inside of an old trunk. What is the best way to finish the inside of the trunk now? Paint, wall paper, fabric?
I have a steamer trunk from the early l900s or late l800s . I found a newspaper dated l952 in the bottom of it. I'm trying to clean it to keep articles of linen in it. All I know is that it's been my family probably brought over from Ireland. I'm trying to clean it out. My mom use to keep our clothes in it with moth balls. It has a musty odor.
To get the "old" smell out, try putting a small (open) jar or bowl of white vinegar inside the trunk and close the top. Leave it for a few days, and see if it isn't much better. If that doesn't work, charcoal in an open bowl might do it for you.
If you want to replace the paper authentically and have a good idea of the era the trunk was made, you may be able to find reproduction paper online. Victorian is the most common era for reproduction, but other era's are being reproduced as well. give the trunk a light wipe-down with ammonia, that will kill most molds and any dust mites living in it. as well as remove the musty odor-use a soft cloth and just enough ammonia to get the cloth slightly damp, it's kind of harsh. Or oil the trunk well, mold and bugs can't stand dollar store baby oil, a very cheap cleanser that works on almost everything-but oiling the inside won't help you at all if you go to apply paper. it just won't stick.
So ammonia if you're going to line it, no matter what with, and oil if you aren't. furniture oil doesn't bother mold and dust mites too much, probably since so much of it is made with nut oils, but baby oil kills them.
Since I am lazy, I would paint, but they make sheets of cedar that you can cut to fit and glue in. Repels bugs and smells nice. I love old trunks, but they sure can get musty smelling.
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